Happiness Meaning: Definition and Examples

Meaning 1：feeling of joy (happiness)

happiness 🔊

/ˈhæpɪnəs/

The feeling you get when you are glad, content, or things are going well.

Happiness illustration: child laughing with parents in park and peaceful tea moment

feeling of joy 🔊

➕

/ˈfiːlɪŋ əv dʒɔɪ/

The state of being happy, characterized by feelings of contentment, satisfaction, and positive well-being.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'happy' (from Old English 'hap' meaning chance/fortunate) + '-ness' (state).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'hap' (luck) + 'piness' (pin the joy) = happiness.

📖 Example

Her face lit up with pure happiness when she saw the surprise birthday party her friends had prepared. 🔊 Her face lit up with pure happiness when she saw the surprise birthday party her friends had prepared.

🔗 Collocations

great happiness – a high degree of happiness

pure happiness – untainted, genuine happiness

happiness and joy – two closely related positive emotions

🔄 Synonyms

joy (n.) – a feeling of great pleasure and happiness

delight (n.) – a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment

contentment (n.) – a state of satisfaction and ease

🚫 Antonyms

sadness (n.) – the state of being unhappy or sorrowful

misery (n.) – a state of great suffering or unhappiness

grief (n.) – intense sorrow, especially caused by loss

🌱 Derivatives

happy (adj.) – feeling or showing pleasure or contentment

happily (adv.) – in a happy manner

unhappiness (n.) – the state of being unhappy

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Old English 'hap' meaning 'chance, fortune'. In Middle English, 'happy' meant 'lucky', then evolved to modern sense of contentment. Used widely in positive psychology.