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Blissful vs Content - What's the difference?

blissful | content |

In obsolete terms the difference between blissful and content

is that blissful is blessed; glorified while content is acquiescence without examination.

As adjectives the difference between blissful and content

is that blissful is extremely happy; full of joy; experiencing, indicating, causing, or characterized by bliss while content is satisfied; in a state of satisfaction.

As a noun content is

that which is contained.

As a verb content is

to give contentment or satisfaction; to satisfy; to gratify; to appease.

blissful

English

Alternative forms

* blissfull (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Extremely happy; full of joy; experiencing, indicating, causing, or characterized by bliss.
  • * 1738 , , "London: A Poem in Imitation of the Third Satire of Juvenal", lines 25-26,
  • In pleasing dreams the blissful age renew,
    And call Britannia's glories back to view;
  • * 1868 , , Little Women , ch. 27,
  • She ... led a blissful life, unconscious of want, care, or bad weather, while she sat safe and happy in an imaginary world.
  • * 1983 , James Hijiya, "American Gravestones and Attitudes toward Death: A Brief History," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society , vol. 127, no. 5., page 349,
  • New England carvers between the 1720s and the 1750s transformed, step by step, the winged skull into the winged face, adding flesh to bare bone and turning the toothy grin of death into the blissful smile of a saved soul.
  • (obsolete) Blessed; glorified.
  • * c1387 , , "The Prioress' Tale," in The Canterbury Tales ,
  • Thus had this widow her little son y-taught
    Our blissful Lady, Christe's mother dear,
    To worship aye

    Usage notes

    "Blissful" occasionally has the extra connotation that a person is extremely happy because he or she fails to recognize or accept certain adversities or other harsh realities.

    Synonyms

    * ecstatic * elated * euphoric * joyful * orgasmic * overjoyed * rapturous * on cloud nine * See also

    References

    * * * * Oxford English Dictionary , second edition (1989) * Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)

    content

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) ; see contain.

    Noun

  • (uncountable) That which is contained.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)
  • , volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= The tao of tech , passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content ", or
  • Subject matter; substance.
  • * Grew
  • I shall prove these writingsauthentic, and the contents true, and worthy of a divine original.
  • The amount of material contained; contents.
  • Capacity for holding.
  • * (Francis Bacon)
  • Strong ships, of great content .
  • (mathematics) The n''-dimensional space contained by an ''n''-dimensional polytope (called ''volume'' in the case of a polyhedron and ''area in the case of a polygon).
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) content, from (etyl) ; see contain.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Satisfied; in a state of satisfaction.
  • *
  • *:This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking.He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.
  • Derived terms
    * contentment
    Synonyms
    * (satisfied) contented, pleased, satisfied

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) , from (contenter); see content as a verb.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Satisfaction; contentment
  • They were in a state of sleepy content after supper.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Such is the fullness of my heart's content .
  • (obsolete) acquiescence without examination
  • * Alexander Pope
  • The sense they humbly take upon content .
  • That which contents or satisfies; that which if attained would make one happy.
  • * Shakespeare
  • So will I in England work your grace's full content .
  • (UK, House of Lords) An expression of assent to a bill or motion; an affirmate vote.
  • (UK, House of Lords) A member who votes in assent.
  • Derived terms
    * discontent * malcontent

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl) contenter, from ; see content as an adjective.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To give contentment or satisfaction; to satisfy; to gratify; to appease.
  • You can't have any more - you'll have to content yourself with what you already have.
  • * Bible, Mark xv. 15
  • Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them.
  • * I. Watts
  • Do not content yourselves with obscure and confused ideas, where clearer are to be attained.
  • (obsolete) To satisfy the expectations of; to pay; to requite.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.