From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhappinesshap‧pi‧ness /ˈhæpinəs/ ●●● W3 noun [uncountable] HAPPYthe state of being happy Juliet’s eyes shone with happiness. We want our children to have the best possible chance of happiness.► see thesaurus at pleasureCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesgreat happiness (=a lot of happiness)His grandchildren bring him great happiness.true/real happiness (=having all the qualities which happiness should have)At last, she found true happiness with a man she loved.perfect/pure/sheer happiness (=happiness that is as good as it can be)The birth of my child was a moment of sheer happiness.human happiness (=happiness felt by people)One of the greatest sources of human happiness is love.personal happinessIn Oxford, he at last found personal happiness and intellectual fulfilment.lasting happiness (=happiness that continues)Leonie had found a lasting happiness in her relationship with Jim.future happinessLiving together before you marry is no guarantee of future happiness.domestic happiness (=happiness that comes from family relationships and life at home)After six years with Joe, the normality of domestic happiness bored her.marital happiness (=happiness that comes from being married)Does being similar to your wife or husband lead to marital happiness?verbsfind happinessIt’s a story about a music composer who unexpectedly finds happiness as a teacher.bring (somebody) happiness (=make someone happy)He wrongly believes that money can bring happiness.achieve happinessHe would never achieve true happiness until he took control of his life.be filled with happinessAs I drove back home, I was filled with happiness.glow with happiness (=look very happy)The bride’s face seemed to glow with happiness.wish somebody (every) happiness/wish (every) happiness to somebody (=say that you hope someone will have a happy life)I would like you to join me in wishing every happiness to Annabelle and Steven.phrasesa feeling of happinessBeing by the ocean gave her a feeling of great happiness.the pursuit of happiness (=the act of trying to achieve happiness)The Declaration of Independence guarantees ‘liberty’ and ‘the pursuit of happiness.’THESAURUShappiness the feeling of being happyHappiness is more important than money.I could see the happiness in her eyes.pleasure the feeling you have when you enjoy doing something, or when something happens that you enjoyAre you taking the trip for business or pleasure?His music has given pleasure to a great many people over the years.cheerfulness happy feelings, which show in your expression, your voice, and your behaviour 'Morning, everybody!' she said with a loud cheerfulness. His normal cheerfulness seemed to have returned.satisfaction the feeling you have when you have done something well, or when something is as good as it should beShe stood back and looked at her work with satisfaction. He gets a lot of satisfaction from helping young people in his coaching job.contentment a quietly happy and satisfied feelingJoey sighed with contentment, snuggling down in his warm bed.great happinessjoy especially written a feeling of great happinessThe sisters hugged and cried tears of joy.It was a day of great joy for the whole town.Most people would be jumping with joy. delight the feeling you have when you are very pleased and excited because something good has happenedThey watched with delight as their new son started walking.To her delight, she discovered the perfect wedding present.bliss a feeling of very great happiness and great pleasure – used when something has a great effect on your sensesLying in the warm sun and listening to the sea felt like sheer bliss (=complete bliss).Her idea of bliss is to be curled up on the sofa watching a romantic comedy with a big bowl of popcorn.The happy couple looked a picture of domestic bliss.elation written a feeling of great happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something or something good has happened to youAs they reached the top, the climbers experienced a moment of elation.Her mood suddenly changed from tears and misery to a feeling of elation. euphoria an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something, or because of the effects of a drugThe euphoria that new parents feel quickly changes to exhaustion.The euphoria of Ireland’s amazing victory over England last Sunday has died away. The drug produces a feeling of euphoria.ecstasy an extremely strong feeling of happiness and pleasure, especially sexual pleasureIt was a moment of sheer ecstasy (=complete ecstasy).the ecstasy of their love-making
Examples from the Corpus
happiness• Happiness is more important than money.• On the lower deck, where all the people are, there is the sense of an outrageous and clarifying happiness.• I doubt she'll find happiness with Gary.• Frankly, she could survive in great happiness for a very long time without ever setting eyes on him again.• I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life.• It makes me very happy but it's a frightening kind of happiness.• There was only one small patch of disappointment in his vista of happiness.• Pauline was willing to do anything for her children's happiness.• Money is not the key to happiness.• The suffering of the present ... is unlikely to be redeemed by a future of universal happiness. 