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In both Danish and Norwegian, hygge (pronounced HUE-gə or HOO-gə) refers to "a form of everyday togetherness", "a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow". It is distinct from but very similar to the feeling and state referred to with the Dutch word gezelligheid.
"Hygge" as a noun includes a feeling, a social atmosphere, and an action. The word is also used in compounds such as "julehygge" (Christmas hygge). "Hygge" is also a verb e.g. "Let's hygge" and as an adjective (in the form hyggeligt only used in Danish) e.g. "A small, hygge house with grass on the roof".
The noun "hygge" includes something nice, cozy, safe and known, referring to a psychological state. The antonym of hygge is uhyggelig, which translates as "scary".
Collins English Dictionary named hygge the runner-up (after Brexit) as word of the year in the UK in 2016. This followed a period with quite a lot of books sent to the British market focusing on hygge. Collins defines the word as "a concept, originating in Denmark, of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing".