What do over the moon, as happy as a clam, and on cloud nine have in common? They are all idioms for happiness! We will be looking at 25 of them today, along with example sentences, so you can see just how they are used in native English. Let’s jump into them now!
Idioms for happiness
Here are the first 10 of today’s idioms for happiness. Read and repeat them all to better remember them!
| Idioms for happiness | Idiom meaning |
|---|---|
| Happy as a clam | This one means we are incredibly happy or content. |
| Over the moon | If we are over the moon, we are delighted! |
| On cloud nine | We feel euphoric if we are on cloud 9. |
| In seventh heaven | We are in a state of bliss – like actually being in heaven. |
| Beside oneself with joy | We use this to describe being overwhelmed with happiness. |
| Sitting on top of the world | We are so happy that we feel we could be king or queen of the whole world, or that we are atop the highest mountain! |
| Happy as a Lark | Very happy, and similar to a lark (bird) singing in the morning! |
| A Happy Bunny | This idiom for happiness is often used to describe comfort or contentment. |
| Whale of a Time | This happy phrase describes having an excellent or very enjoyable time or experience. |
| A Ball | To have a ball means to have a very fun time doing something. |
Related: 18 Spring Idioms: Have Better English With These Phrases!
Idioms for happy
Here are 5 more idioms for happy! Read and repeat them, and also try to visualize the situations where you might use them!
| Idioms for happy | Idiom meaning |
| Tickled pink | This means we have laughed a lot at something funny, and we are feeling so happy. |
| Floating on air | Here we are very happy or elated! |
| Grinning from ear to ear | Here we have a huge smile on our face – it stretches from one ear to the other! |
| Jumping for joy | We are so happy that we could jump high in the air. |
| In high spirits | Our mood, motivation, or atmosphere is really happy! |
Related: 70 Sentences On Happiness For Motivation And English Practice!
Extremely happy idioms
Here are some idioms that we can use to describe being extremely happy!
| Extremely happy idioms | Idiom meaning |
|---|---|
| As happy as a pig in mud | This means to be extremely satisfied or pleased with your situation. Just like a pig enjoys being in the mud making a mess! |
| As happy as Larry | You are really happy, without any apparent worries! It may have come from the Australian boxer Larry Foley (1847–1917). |
| Like a dog with two tails | When a dog wags its tail it usually means it’s happy. Double that! Two tails = super happy! |
| Walking on air | You feel elated, so much so that you could float in the air! |
| On top of the world | Imagine you are on top of the tallest mountain in the the world. You feel elated about it! |
Happiness expressions
Here are 5 more happiness expressions:
| Happiness expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| As pleased as Punch | This happiness expression means to be very pleased, or self-satisfied |
| Bursting with joy | We are so filled with joy that we can hardly contain it! We are like a balloon set to pop! |
| Happy-go-lucky | This one means to have a carefree, cheerful, and easy-going attitude or demeanor. |
| Life of the party | This happiness expression describes somebody who brings excitement to social gatherings like parties, classes, or meetings. |
| Full of the joys of spring | This one means to be very happy, often without any specific reason! Happy just for the sake of being happy. |
Related: 11 Knowledge Idioms: How To Speak About Cleverness + More!
Idioms about happiness: sentences
Let’s now look at some sentences using today’s idioms for happiness. I would recommend reading and repeating all of them so that you are comfortable with them!
- Happy as a clam: Ever since Ava got her new job, she’s been as happy as a clam.
- Over the moon: Nathan was over the moon when he found out that he passed his final exams with flying colors.
- On cloud nine: Winning the poetry contest had her on cloud nine for weeks.
- In seventh heaven: I was in seventh heaven when I received a surprise visit from an old friend, Marcus. I hadn’t seen him in 8 years!
- Beside oneself with joy: She was beside herself with joy on her wedding day, it was a dream come true for her.
- Sitting on top of the world: After his promotion, Jake’s been sitting on top of the world!
- Happy as a Lark: She woke up early for her birthday, happy as a lark and ready to celebrate!
- A Happy Bunny: Curled up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, Tom was a happy bunny.
- Whale of a Time: The kids had a whale of a time at the water park this weekend, even though it was a little cold.
- A Ball: They threw a surprise party for Francis and everyone had a ball.
- Tickled pink: Mom was tickled pink when we surprised her with a huge birthday cake.
- Floating on air: Since Mary got engaged, she’s been floating on air.
- Grinning from ear to ear: The little boy was grinning from ear to ear when he got a puppy.
- Jumping for joy: When they announced her name as the English speech contest winner, Donna started jumping for joy.
- In high spirits: The team was in high spirits after winning the soccer championship.
- As happy as a pig in mud: Playing in the dirt, the toddler was as happy as a pig in mud.
- As happy as Larry: Ever since he retired, he’s been as happy as Larry, fishing at the lake every day. He has no more responsibilities!
- Like a dog with two tails: Tomas was like a dog with two tails when he received praise from his teacher.
- Walking on air: She was walking on air after her crush asked her out on a date!
- On top of the world: With his new guitar in hand, Maxwell felt on top of the world.
- As pleased as Punch: He was as pleased as Punch with the results of his home renovation project – his living room looks awesome now!
- Bursting with joy: After being announced as valedictorian, Sally was bursting with joy.”
- Happy-go-lucky: His happy-go-lucky attitude is infectious, making everyone around him smile, they can’t help it!
- Life of the party: At every gathering, Becky’s the life of the party, ensuring everyone has a great time.
- Full of the joys of spring: Every morning Mr. Smith, our English teacher, is full of the joys of spring, greeting everyone with a cheerful ‘good morning’.
Idioms for happiness: FAQs
Now that we have looked at all 25 idioms for happiness, it is time to check out some more general questions that pop up when it comes to not only idioms for happy, but also idioms in general!
What is an idiom for enjoy?
An idiom for enjoy that expresses a high level of enjoyment is “having a whale of a time.” This phrase suggests that someone is having an extremely good or fun time, comparable to the grand size and playful reputation of a whale in the ocean!
- At the comedy show, we had a whale of a time listening to our favorite comedians!
What is the idiom that uses like?
An idiom that includes the word “like” and conveys happiness is “like a dog with two tails.” It illustrates immense joy or satisfaction, suggesting that one tail wagging is not enough to express the happiness.
Michael was like a dog with two tails when he got promoted to supervisor. He is getting a pay rise, too!
Why do we speak in idioms?
Speaking in idioms can sometimes save us a lot of time and effort when speaking. We speak in idioms because they add color and vividness to our language, allowing us to express complex ideas and emotions succinctly. Idioms often invoke familiar images or concepts that help listeners quickly grasp the meaning behind the words. For example, saying someone “is on cloud nine” immediately conveys they are feeling so happy, without needing a long explanation.
Why should students learn idioms?
It’s all about sounding more natural when we speak, but also understanding more of what other people are saying. Students should learn idioms to enhance their understanding of the language and to communicate more effectively with native speakers! Idioms are an integral part of everyday speech, and knowledge of them can improve comprehension of spoken and written texts. For instance, understanding the idiom “feeling under the weather” will help students recognize it’s about feeling ill, not weather conditions.
Why are idioms important in culture?
Idioms are important in culture because they often encapsulate cultural values, beliefs, and history. They are linguistic expressions that are unique to each language and can provide insights into the way a community thinks and interacts. Idioms are like cultural fingerprints; for example, “spill the beans” indicates the importance of secrets and reveals in storytelling within English-speaking cultures. It’s culturally appropriate because beans have long been (no pun intended!!) a staple of the the British diet.
Idioms for happiness: speak with positive tones!
I do hope that you have enjoyed reading through today’s idioms for happiness, and have seen that they add vibrancy and positivity to our language! They do this in a few ways – let’s just go over a few reasons how as a nice summary for today’s tutorial:
- They put across feelings vividly: Idioms really can paint a clear picture of the situation.
- They are colorful expressions: With their imaginative comparison, idioms make the conversation more fluent and enjoyable.
- They can create a sense of connection between people: Happiness expressions often evoke shared experiences, making communication more relatable and building camaraderie!
- They are able to make speech more memorable: The uniqueness of idiomatic expressions tends to stick in the mind, making both the speaker and the message more memorable!