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English[]

Most common English words: obliged « ourselves « pale « #913: happiness » religion » dress » degree

Part or all of this page has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

Etymology[]

From happy +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation[]

Noun[]

Wikipedia

Singular
Happiness

Plural
-

Happiness (-)

  1. joy, the emotion of being happy.
  2. Good luck; good fortune; prosperity.
    All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! — William Shakespeare, Wikisource:The Two Gentlemen of Verona, I-i
  3. An agreeable feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune or propitious happening of any kind; the possession of those circumstances or that state of being which is attended enjoyment; the state of being happy; contentment; joyful satisfaction; felicity; blessedness.
  4. Fortuitous elegance; unstudied grace; — used especially of language.
    Some beauties yet no precepts can declare, For there's a happiness, as well as care. — Alexander Pope.

Synonyms[]

  • Happiness, felicity, blessedness, bliss.
  • Happiness is generic, and is applied to almost every kind of enjoyment except that of the animal appetites.
  • Felicity is a more formal word, and is used more sparingly in the same general sense, but with elevated associations.
  • Blessedness is applied to the most refined enjoyment arising from the purest social, benevolent, and religious affections.
  • Bliss denotes still more exalted delight, and is applied more appropriately to the joy anticipated in heaven.
    O happiness! our being’s end and aim! — Alexander Pope
    Others in virtue place felicity, But virtue joined with riches and long life; In corporal pleasures he, and careless ease. — John Milton
    His overthrow heaped happiness upon him; For then, and not till then, he felt himself, And found the blessedness of being little. — William Shakespeare, Wikisource:The Life of King Henry VIII, IV-ii

Antonyms[]

  • unhappiness
  • haplessness

Translations[]

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 Help:How to check translations.

References[]

af:happiness ang:happiness zh-min-nan:happiness et:happiness es:happiness fr:happiness ko:happiness hy:happiness io:happiness id:happiness it:happiness kn:happiness kk:happiness sw:happiness ku:happiness lo:happiness hu:happiness ml:happiness nl:happiness ja:happiness no:happiness pl:happiness simple:happiness sr:happiness fi:happiness ta:happiness te:happiness th:happiness vi:happiness zh:happiness

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