happiness

noun

hap·​pi·​ness ˈha-pē-nəs How to pronounce happiness (audio)
Synonyms of happiness
1
a
: a state of well-being and contentment : joy
b
: a pleasurable or satisfying experience
I wish you every happiness in life.
I had the happiness of seeing you—W. S. Gilbert
2
: felicity, aptness
a striking happiness of expression
3
obsolete : good fortune : prosperity
All happiness bechance to thee …—William Shakespeare

Synonyms of happiness

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of happiness in a Sentence

They made a toast to long life and happiness. her happiness was complete when she got her very own house
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yet winning something has not been the gateway to overwhelming happiness. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 30 July 2026 But Yoon is careful, with his characteristically spare, visceral imagery, to establish Etna’s early happiness. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Meanwhile, Ikea says its in-house customer happiness score is now 89%, up from 60% prior to Billie’s rollout. — Claire Zillman, Fortune, 30 July 2026 Tension between your social circle and your romantic or creative life could clarify who genuinely supports you and your happiness. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for happiness

Word History

Etymology

see happy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of happiness was in the 15th century

Rhymes for happiness

See All Rhymes for happiness

Browse Nearby Words

happily
happiness
happy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Happiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

happiness

noun
hap·​pi·​ness ˈhap-i-nəs How to pronounce happiness (audio)
: a state of well-being and contentment : joy

More from Merriam-Webster on happiness

Nglish: Translation of happiness for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about happiness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All