bliss
noun
supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment.
bliss
1 American
[blis]
/ blɪs /
noun
-
supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment.
wedded bliss.
- Antonyms:
- misery
-
Theology. the joy of heaven.
-
heaven; paradise.
the road to eternal bliss.
-
Archaic. a cause of great joy or happiness.
idioms
Bliss
2
American
[blis]
/ blɪs /
noun
-
Sir Arthur (Edward Drummond), 1891–1975, English composer.
-
Tasker Howard, 1853–1930, U.S. general.
bliss
1
British
/ blɪs /
noun
-
perfect happiness; serene joy
-
the ecstatic joy of heaven
Bliss
2
British
/ blɪs /
noun
Synonym Usage
See happiness.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bliss
First recorded before 1000; Middle English blisse, Old English bliss, blīths, equivalent to blīthe blithe + -s suffix
Explanation
Bliss is a state of complete happiness or joy. Marriage is often associated with this joyous feeling: people who are married and still in love are described as living in wedded bliss. Another common association is heaven or paradise, as in eternal bliss. Bliss is from Middle English blisse, from Old English bliss, blīths. The final -s in this Old English word is actually a suffix and the word itself is related to blīthe, the source of modern English blithe, which means happy.
Vocabulary lists containing bliss
Beowulf vocabulary
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Enjoy! Synonyms for "Pleasure"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The opening “I Feel So Free” is the thesis statement, framing the club as a place that dissolves ego, lessens anxiety, and offers a portal to communal bliss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
He attributes much of that bliss to his marriage to Schmidt, an art curator, writer and photographer whom he wed in 2017.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Recalling the series' highlight, when he unexpectedly found himself up close with a group of mountain gorillas, Attenborough described the experience as "bliss" and "extraordinary".
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
Oblivious, Attenborough lay there in a sort of bliss.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Less than a year ago we were a happy, healthy family taking that simple bliss for granted.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
Steve Trittschuh and Brian Bliss, who also started in the game against Trinidad and Tobago, have both coached in college and MLS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Bliss said there are limits on how much data that spectrum can move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Hay Fever is one of Coward's most enduring comedies, and follows the self-centred Bliss family - retired actress Judith, her novelist husband David, and their children Sorel and Simon.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Season 4 united Tiffany Pennywell and Brett Brown; their marriage is still going strong, as are those of fellow participants Chelsea Griffin and Kwame Appiah, and Bliss Poureetezadi and Zack Goytowski.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
In April 1865, Barnes and Bliss were among the several physicians who gathered by the dying president's bed in the boardinghouse across from Ford's Theatre.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.