student asking question

What's the main difference between "joy" and "happiness?"

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Both "joy" and "happiness" mean the feeling of contentment and pleasure. "Joy" is more about an inward feeling of contentment, and "happiness" is an outward one. People often say that "happiness" is temporary, but "joy" lasts longer, even if things aren't going well. Either way, "happiness" is more commonly used within daily conversation. Ex: Your present brought me a lot of joy. => inward satisfaction Ex: I'm so happy we're going to the movies tonight!

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