The Meaning of Euphoria: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of the word euphoria? This article will supply you with all of the information you need on this new word!

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According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word euphoria is a noun that refers to a feeling of great elation or a state of intense happiness. The pronunciation of euphoria is juːˈfɔːrɪə, and euphoria has four syllables: eu-pho-ri-a.

Euphoria is also a show on HBO starring Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney. Characters include Rue, Jules, Cassie, Maddy, and Kat. The series premiered on June 16, 2019. The show grapples with intense themes of drug addiction, sex, and violence. The show has numerous adult themes, though the main characters are high school students. The show was created by Sam Levinson.

Euphoria is also a side effect of certain drugs. Often, these are known as uppers. While these intense feelings of euphoria might feel good at the moment, it can contribute to addiction. People tend to chase this intense high after feeling it for the first time. As their tolerance builds, more and more drugs are needed to create feelings of euphoria. 

How Can You Say Euphoria in Other Languages?

Some other languages besides English have ways of saying euphoria. Some of these different translations listed below look and sound quite similar to the word euphoria. In linguistics and foreign language studies, these are called cognates. 

A cognate usually shares a root word or language of origin with an English word and therefore looks and sounds similar. Which of the below words look like cognates of euphoria? 

  •  Portuguese: euforia‎ 
  •  Finnish: euforia‎
  •  Polish: euforia‎ 
  •  Mandarin: 欣快症‎ (xīnkuàizhèng), 狂喜‎, 极乐‎ (ji2-le4)
  •  Spanish: euforia‎ 
  •  German: Euphorie‎, Hochgefühl‎, Glücksgefühl‎ 
  •  Russian: эйфори́я‎, ра́достное настрое́ние‎, припо́днятое состоя́ние‎ 
  •  Italian: euforia‎ 
  •  Romanian: euforie‎ 
  •  Swedish: eufori‎
  •  Japanese: 多幸感‎ (たこうかん, takōkan)
  •  French: euphorie‎, (colloquial) pêche‎, (colloquial) frite‎ 
  •  Indonesian: suka cita‎, kegembiraan
  •  Maori: manahau‎
  •  Norwegian: eufori‎ 
  •  Czech: euforie‎ 
  •  Korean: 다행증‎ (dahaengjeung)
  •  Estonian: eufooria‎
  •  Danish: eufori‎
  •  Hungarian: eufória‎
  •  Greek: ευφορία‎ 
  •  Catalan: eufòria‎ 
  •  Serbo-Croatian: ushit‎, ushićenje‎, euforija‎ 

What Is the Origin of the Word Euphoria?

According to Etymonline, euphoria is a Greek word that means the power of enduring easily. The Greek euphoría means state of well-being, and is written as εὐφορία in Ancient Greek. This comes from the Greek euphoros (εὔφορος) and the Greek root eu (εὖ), meaning well, combined with the Greek pherein (φέρειν), meaning to carry. These come from Proto-Indo-European roots. 

Related words to euphoria are euphoric (adj., yoo-phore-ik) and euphoric (adj. yoo-phor-ik-cal). These both replace the suffix -ia to form a different part of speech.

How Can the Word Euphoria Be Used in a Sentence?

Euphoria is a very expressive word that we can use in various English sentences. This noun is very specific, so it is important to know how to use it properly in context. 

While you may know the definition of euphoria, it is important to know how to use it in a sentence. You can reference the below example sentences to start using the word euphoria:

Dancing and other forms of aerobic exercise brought her the induction of euphoria and caused her anxiety to melt away.

Social activities and her romantic love brought her a euphoric mood, and her life was filled with laughter.

She had a sense of initial euphoria when she got the promotion, but by November, she was overwhelmed, and her state of euphoria was no more.

He is overwhelmed by the intense feelings of euphoria the drug produces.

The high school student had a feeling of euphoria when he got an A on his exam.

Alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine, THC, codeine, cannabinoids, barbiturates, morphine, opioids, benzodiazepines, and amphetamine might bring a sensation of an intense euphoria in the moment with recreational use, but this can quickly turn into the onset of a pathological manic state. These can affect the pleasure centers of the brain and the reward system, causing a blunting of the drugs’ long-term effects and leading to addiction.

What Are Synonyms for the Word Euphoria?

Synonyms are words with the same meaning or definition as another word. Learning synonyms like the ones on the below list from Power Thesaurus can be helpful if you are trying to spice up your writing and avoid repeating a certain word multiple times: 

  • bliss
  •  cheer
  •  cheerfulness
  •  contentment
  •  delight
  •  delirium
  •  ebullience
  •  ecstasy
  •  elation
  •  enjoyment
  •  euphory
  •  exaltation
  •  excitement
  •  exhilaration
  •  extreme happiness
  •  exuberance
  •  exultation
  •  felicity
  •  frenzy
  •  gaiety
  •  gladness
  •  glee
  •  gratification
  •  happiness
  •  heaven
  •  intoxication
  •  jollity
  •  joy
  •  joyfulness
  •  joyousness
  •  jubilation
  •  merriment
  •  mirth
  •  paradise
  •  pleasure
  •  rapture
  •  raptures
  •  rhapsody
  •  satisfaction
  •  transport
  •  transports of delight
  •  well-being

What Are Antonyms for the Word Euphoria?

Learning opposite words, also known as antonyms, is a great way to expand your current vocabulary. By studying this list of antonyms for the word euphoria from Power Thesaurus, you can start to add many different words to your vocabulary one at a time:  

  • affliction
  •  agony
  •  anguish
  •  blues
  •  deep depression
  •  dejection
  •  depression
  •  desolation
  •  despair
  •  despondency
  •  disconsolateness
  •  disconsolation
  •  discouragement
  •  dispiritedness
  •  distress
  •  doldrums
  •  downheartedness
  •  dumps
  •  dysphoria
  •  gloom
  •  gloominess
  •  heartbreak
  •  heavy-heartedness
  •  low spirits
  •  melancholia
  •  melancholy
  •  mental anguish
  •  mental distress
  •  mental disturbance
  •  mental suffering
  •  moodiness
  •  mopery
  •  moroseness
  •  negative attitude
  •  negative view
  •  sadness
  •  sea of grief
  •  sorrow
  •  unhappiness
  •  woe

Conclusion

Overall, the word euphoria refers to an excited state of joy or a strong feeling of happiness. This good feeling can also refer to a side effect or symptom from drugs.

Sources:

  1. ​​Euphoria synonyms – 522 Words and Phrases for Euphoria | Power Thesaurus 
  2. Euphoria antonyms – 246 Opposites of Euphoria | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Etymology, origin and meaning of euphoria | Etymonline 
  4. Euphoria (TV Series 2019– ) | IMDb