cloud nine

idiom

Meaning

Often in the phrase on cloud nine: a state of bliss, elation or happiness.

Origin

first recorded 19th c. folk etymology

Mid-20th-century American; earlier versions used cloud seven and eight, so the popular link to cloud type 9 (cumulonimbus) in the 1896 International Cloud Atlas is probably folk etymology.

Examples

SIMPLE

She is on cloud nine after passing her exam.

CONTEXTUAL

He was on cloud nine when he finally received the job offer he had been waiting for all year.

COMPLEX

After the long-awaited announcement of their engagement, the couple spent the entire evening on cloud nine, seemingly oblivious to the bustling crowd around them.

Anchors to

cloud
Nine

Related idioms3entries

01
cloud seven
Often in the phrase on cloud seven: a state of bliss, elation or happiness.
02
dark cloud
A situation or future event that causes worry, problems or unhappiness, likened to such a cloud overhead in the sky.
03
nine times out of ten
Very often, mostly, most of the time.