happiness

noun

hap·​pi·​ness ˈha-pē-nəs 

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

• joy
• bliss

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

Co-written with Claire Douglas, Hannah Ellis, and Jason Massey, the song explores the uneasy tendency to sabotage our own happiness, pairing wistful guitars with Velasco's soaring vocals. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

Firaxis limits how many settlements players have by creating a cap that leads to a happiness penalty if players go above it. —Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

Wishing y'all peace and happiness. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

Consider The Customer Perspective Customer happiness is a strategy, not just a metric. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see happy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for happiness

• unhappiness

Kids Definition

happiness

noun

hap·​pi·​ness ˈhap-i-nəs 

: a state of well-being and contentment : joy