happiness
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
happiness (countable and uncountable, plural happinesses)
- (uncountable) The emotion of being happy; joy.
- 1877, W. S. Gilbert, The Sorcerer
- Yes, Aline, true happiness comes of true love, and true love should be independent of external influences.
- 1877, W. S. Gilbert, The Sorcerer
- (archaic, uncountable) prosperity, thriving, wellbeing.
- 1776, United States Declaration of Independence
- We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
- 1776, United States Declaration of Independence
- (archaic, uncountable) Good luck; good fortune.
- c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i], page 20, column 2:
- All happineſſe bechance to thee in Millaine.
- (obsolete, countable) Fortuitous elegance; unstudied grace; — used especially of language.
- 1709, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W. Lewis […], published 1711, OCLC 15810849, page 10:
- Some Beauties yet, no Precepts can declare, / For there's a Happineſs as well as Care.
Usage notesEdit
Happiness is generic, and is applied to almost every kind of enjoyment.
SynonymsEdit
- felicity (somewhat dated or formal)
- blessedness (dated or religious)
- bliss (more exalted delight, suggesting heaven)
- high spirits
- joy, joyfulness, joyousness
- pleasure
AntonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
emotion of being happy
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good luck
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agreeable feeling
fortuitous elegance
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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ReferencesEdit
- “happiness” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
Further readingEdit
- Happiness (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- happiness on Wikipedia.Wikipedia