# cloud nine

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cloud-nine
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- She is on cloud nine after passing her exam.
- He was on cloud nine when he finally received the job offer he had been waiting for all year.
- 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.

## Origin

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. (folk)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.