😊 Happiness Vocabulary

Part 1: Happiness Collocations

Collocations are words that naturally go together. These combinations are common when talking about happiness, wellbeing and positive emotions.

Collocation	Example	Meaning
boost your mood	"A short walk outside can boost your mood."	Make you feel happier
feel fulfilled	"Helping others makes many people feel fulfilled."	Feel satisfied and meaningful in life
sense of purpose	"Having a sense of purpose can increase happiness."	Feeling that your life has direction
work-life balance	"A good work-life balance is essential for wellbeing."	Healthy balance between work and personal life
practise gratitude	"Many people practise gratitude by keeping a journal."	Regularly notice and appreciate good things
close relationships	"Close relationships are a key source of happiness."	Strong, supportive connections with others

Collocation	Example
inner peace	"Meditation helps some people find inner peace."
life satisfaction	"Researchers often measure overall life satisfaction."
burst of joy	"She felt a burst of joy when she saw her exam results."
deep gratitude	"He felt deep gratitude for his friends' support."
positive mindset	"A positive mindset can help you handle stress."

1. A short walk in nature can __________ your mood.

2. Volunteering can help you __________ fulfilled and useful.

3. Many people try to __________ a healthy work-life balance.

4. She writes three good things every night to __________ gratitude.

5. Joining a club is a great way to __________ connections with others.

Idioms are expressions with meanings different from the literal words. These idioms are all about feeling happy and positive.

over the moon – extremely happy
"She was over the moon when she got the job."
on top of the world – feeling wonderful
"After the concert, he felt on top of the world."
in high spirits – cheerful and excited
"Everyone was in high spirits at the party."
walking on air – very happy and light
"He was walking on air after he passed the exam."
make your day – make you very happy
"Your message really made my day."
put a smile on your face – make you smile or feel happy
"That song always puts a smile on my face."

1. When she heard the news, she was over the __________.

2. His kind message really made my __________.

3. After the exam, the students were in high __________.

4. The surprise party put a big __________ on her face.

5. Winning the prize left him feeling on top of the __________.

Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs. These ones are common when talking about happiness and emotions.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
cheer up	Become or make someone happier	"A funny film can really cheer you up."
look forward to	Feel happy about something in the future	"I’m looking forward to the holidays."
calm down	Relax after feeling upset or excited	"Take a deep breath and try to calm down."
open up	Share your feelings honestly	"Good friends make it easier to open up."
chill out	Relax and do nothing stressful	"On Sundays I just chill out at home."

Cheer up can be used both for yourself and others: "I need to cheer up" / "That will cheer you up."

Look forward to is followed by a noun or -ing form: "look forward to summer" / "look forward to seeing you."

Open up often appears in emotional contexts: therapy, close friendships, serious conversations.

1. A silly video can quickly __________ you up when you feel low.

2. She tries to __________ forward to at least one thing every day.

3. Deep breathing can help you __________ down when you’re stressed.

4. Having a good listener makes it easier to __________ up about your feelings.

5. After a busy week, I just want to __________ out and watch a film.

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