happiness

noun

hap·pi·ness | \ ˈha-pē-nəs

Definition of happiness

1a : 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about happiness

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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

And people find happiness in hating or criticizing the same things. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "“Riverdale”’s Lili Reinhart Goes After All Her Haters on Instagram and Cheryl Blossom Would Be Proud," 4 Jan. 2019 Ultimately, Lydgate succumbs to the jealousy of his rivals and to the perfidy of his patron, while the widowed Dorothea must sacrifice the goal of beneficence for the sake of finding happiness with a new husband. — Leslie Lenkowsky, WSJ, "Five Best: Leslie Lenkowsky on Novels About Philanthropy," 7 Dec. 2018 This one looks dark, melancholy, and romantic, following a couple struggling to find happiness in 1950s Poland. — Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge, "New trailers: Rocketman, Vice, She-Ra, and more," 6 Oct. 2018 Ingenious, and almost sinister really: Wreck the economy with heavy-handed policy, then change the measurement to unquantifiable happiness. — Andy Kessler, WSJ, "Inner Peace Is a Booming Business," 16 Dec. 2018 Maezawa said nicely fitting clothes bring smiles and the moon trip’s purpose also is to add to happiness. — Yuri Kageyama, The Seattle Times, "Japanese tycoon going on SpaceX rocket says he trusts Musk," 8 Oct. 2018 Yes, Buck, is happiness linked to having great hair? — Fox News, "Gutfeld: The media need to focus on reality instead of fear," 21 July 2018 The happiness in the portraits of those who support Trump struck Schneller. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "An artist paints people's selfie reactions to Trump. Now they see each other differently.," 7 May 2018 But one man's discomfort is a Reddit user's happiness, so the whole thing went viral and CWK turned into this whole thing, rekindling the debate about whether television networks should show kids crying during sporting events. — Chris Chase, USA TODAY, "15 best characters, memes from NCAA tournament history," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'happiness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.