Euphoria
noun /juːˈfɔːrɪə/ — A state of intense happiness and excitement — the body's announcement that something is very right.
Definition
A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness; a sense of well-being and elation so strong it sometimes feels unreal.
Beyond the definition
Euphoria is happiness at its most physical — it is felt in the body, not just thought. The word suggests a state so elevated it may not be entirely trustworthy. Medical contexts use it to describe a state that often precedes a crash, which has seeped into the general use: the word carries a slight shimmer of impermanence.
Origin & history
From Greek euphoria — well-being (from eu: well + pherein: to bear). The state of bearing well — the body carrying itself with ease and lightness.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The news arrived and she felt euphoria — a lightness so complete it briefly emptied her of words.
The euphoria of a new relationship, before reality negotiates its terms.
She distrusted euphoria now; she'd learned that the higher the altitude, the harder the landing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
dysphoria, depression, misery
Related words
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Joyous spirit on a hilltop
An adult stands on a hilltop with arms raised to the sky, surrounded by a vast, open landscape.
The figure’s uninhibited joy and triumphant posture represent a state of intense happiness and elation, where the internal feeling is so strong it encompasses their whole being.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration