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.
Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic. — Bryan West, USA Today, 3 July 2026 To their community, the couple appeared to be role models of happiness and devotion. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 The rise of dopamine decor has shifted our perspective from designing our homes for others' enjoyment to reimagining our dwellings as havens that spark our own happiness. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2026 And yet they are forced to the margins of their own society, having to navigate love and happiness under a blanket of fear, danger, and uncertainty. — Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 June 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 10 Jul. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All