euphoria
noun
Rita L. Atkinson et al.Clifton Brown
Did you know?
Euphoria Has Greek Roots
Health and happiness are often linked, sometimes even in etymologies. Nowadays euphoria generally refers to happiness, but it derives from euphoros, a Greek word that means "healthy." Given that root, it's not surprising that in its original English uses euphoria was a medical term. Its entry in an early 18th-century dictionary explains it as "the well-bearing of the Operation of a Medicine; that is, when the Sick Person finds himself eas'd or reliev'd by it." Modern physicians still use the term, but they aren't likely to prescribe something that will cause it. In contemporary medicine and psychology, euphoria can describe abnormal or inappropriate feelings such as those caused by an illicit drug or an illness.
Synonyms
Examples of euphoria in a Sentence
Robert Frank, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2024
It’s known that alcohol consumption causes dopamine to be released in the brain, causing a sense of euphoria.
—New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2024
And even when things level out, the window-rattling downturn threatened to kill the political euphoria that has swept over Democrats since President Biden withdrew and Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as the party’s standard-bearer.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2024
That was part of the euphoria as Hester dodged around and scorched past 11 Indianapolis Colts on his sprint into history.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for euphoria 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'euphoria.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near euphoria
Cite this Entry
“Euphoria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euphoria. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
euphoria
noun
George Bartzokis et al., NeuropsychopharmacologyKai Jacobsen and Aaron Devor, Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies
Share