HAPPINESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does happiness mean? 

• HAPPINESS (noun)
  The noun HAPPINESS has 2 senses:

1. state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

2. emotions experienced when in a state of well-being

  Familiarity information: HAPPINESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HAPPINESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

State of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

felicity; happiness

Hypernyms ("happiness" is a kind of...):

emotional state; spirit (the state of a person's emotions (especially with regard to pleasure or dejection))

Attribute:

happy (enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure)

unhappy (experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "happiness"):

beatification; beatitude; blessedness (a state of supreme happiness)

radiance (an attractive combination of good health and happiness)

Antonym:

unhappiness (state characterized by emotions ranging from mild discontentment to deep grief)

Derivation:

happy (marked by good fortune)

happy (enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Emotions experienced when in a state of well-being

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("happiness" is a kind of...):

feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)

Attribute:

happy (enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure)

unhappy (experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "happiness"):

bonheur ((French) happiness and good humor)

gladfulness; gladness; gladsomeness (experiencing joy and pleasure)

gaiety; merriment (a gay feeling)

rejoicing (a feeling of great happiness)

belonging (happiness felt in a secure relationship)

blitheness; cheerfulness (a feeling of spontaneous good spirits)

contentment (happiness with one's situation in life)

Antonym:

sadness (emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being)

Derivation:

happy (enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure)

 Context examples 

All happiness will be torn away with you.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Laurie was sick and lonely, and feeling how rich she was in home and happiness, she gladly tried to share it with him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

To be obedient to them was to escape hurt and make for happiness.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

In my honeymoon, too, when my most inveterate enemy might relent, one would think, and not envy me a little peace of mind and happiness.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

To be driven by him, next to being dancing with him, was certainly the greatest happiness in the world.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

I shall never forget his happiness.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

These ranged from a general lack of happiness in the relationship to rows and other kinds of conflict.

(Prenatal parental stress linked to behaviour problems in toddlers, University of Cambridge)

A study revealed a connection between midday napping and greater happiness, fewer behavioral problems; and higher IQ in children.

(Children Who Nap Are Happier, Have Higher IQ, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A feeling of great happiness or well-being.

(Euphoria, NCI Dictionary)