euphoria

noun

eu·​pho·​ria yü-ˈfȯr-ē-ə 

: a feeling of well-being or elation

Apparently, it is the change in mood—the feeling of euphoria and reduced anxiety—that prompts people to start using this dangerous drug.

—Rita L. Atkinson et al.

They had almost a week to recover from the euphoria of Tuesday's series-winning victory …

—Clifton Brown

compare dysphoria

Did you know?

Euphoria Has Greek Roots

Health and happiness are often linked, sometimes even in etymologies. Today euphoria generally refers to happiness, but it comes from euphoros, a Greek word that means “healthy.” Given that root, it’s unsurprising that in its original English uses euphoria was a medical term. A medical dictionary published in 1881 (The New Sydenham Society’s Lexicon of Medicine and the Allied Sciences), for example, defines euphoria as “well-being, or the perfect ease and comfort of healthy persons, especially when the sensation occurs in a sick person,” and the second edition of our own unabridged dictionary published in 1934 labels euphoria as a psychological term meaning “a sense of well-being and buoyancy.” The idea of buoyancy also connects to the word’s Greek roots: euphoros comes from a combination of the prefix eu-, meaning “well” or “easily,” and the verb pherein, meaning “to bear.” Modern physicians still use the term, but euphoria has since entered everyday usage as a word for happy feelings so intense one feels borne aloft—that is, as if one is floating on air.

Synonyms

• cloud nine
• ecstasy
• elatedness
• elation
• exhilaration
• heaven
• high
• intoxication
• paradise
• rapture
• rhapsody
• seventh heaven
• swoon
• transport

Examples of euphoria in a Sentence

The initial euphoria following their victory in the election has now subsided.

The drug produces intense feelings of euphoria.

Recent Examples on the Web

Higher doses can be more intense, leading to euphoria, sensory changes, or sleepiness, depending on your tolerance and body chemistry. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

The severity of the stock drawdown to start Trump's presidency stands in marked contrast to the initial euphoria following his November election victory, when the S&P 500 surged to all-time highs amid confidence the former businessman would bring about much hoped for tax cuts and deregulation. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2025

So for the second time in five years, swept out of the first round of the playoffs, the euphoria of those road play-in victories over the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks leading to the reality that a 10th-place team comes with an expiration date prior to May when facing a No. 1 seed. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2025

There’s that wonderful exhilaration of being invited into a movie with a great director, great cast, great script and the euphoria of being asked to play in the company as an artist. —Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, from euphoros healthy, from eu- + pherein to bear — more at bear

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing euphoria

• gender euphoria

Rhymes for euphoria

• chorea
• correa
• doria
• gloria
• scoria
• shorea
• thoria
• aporia
• centaurea
• dysphoria
• septoria
• signoria

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Kids Definition

euphoria

noun

eu·​pho·​ria yu̇-ˈfōr-ē-ə 

-ˈfȯr-

: a strong feeling of happiness

euphoric

-ˈfȯr-ik 

-ˈfär-

adjective

Medical Definition

euphoria

noun

eu·​pho·​ria yu̇-ˈfōr-ē-ə, -ˈfȯr- 

1

: a state of feeling intense happiness, excitement, or sense of well-being

Although our understanding of the euphoria or "high" produced by cocaine in humans is limited, animal studies indicate that mesolimbic dopamine neurotransmission and the limbic system play major roles in cocaine-induced reinforcement.

—George Bartzokis et al., Neuropsychopharmacology

compare dysphoria sense 1

2

: gender euphoria

In general, participants described their euphoria as increasing over time, as they were able to transition, access gender-affirming medical care, and express their gender in the ways that they wanted.

—Kai Jacobsen and Aaron Devor, Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies