Synonyms

happen

American

[hap-uhn] / ˈhæp ən /

verb (used without object)

to take place; come to pass; occur.

Something interesting is always happening in New York.

Synonyms:

betide
to come to pass by chance; occur without apparent reason or design.

Don't ask me what caused it—it just happened, that's all.
to have the fortune or lot (to do or be as specified); chance.

I happened to see him on the street.
to befall, as to a person or thing.

Something dreadful has happened to me.
to meet or discover by chance (usually followed by on orupon ).

to happen on a clue to a mystery.
to be, come, go, etc., casually or by chance.

My friend happened along.
Slang. to be very exciting or interesting.

That party was happening!

happen British

/ ˈhæpən /

verb

(intr) (of an event in time) to come about or take place; occur
(of some unforeseen circumstance or event, esp death), to fall to the lot (of); be a source of good or bad fortune (to)

if anything happens to me, it'll be your fault
(tr) to chance (to be or do something)

I happen to know him
(tr; takes a clause as object) to be the case, esp if by chance, that

it happens that I know him

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

dialect
1. another word for perhaps
2. ( as sentence modifier )
  
  happen I'll see thee tomorrow

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is a basic definition of happen? Happen means to occur, to come to pass by chance, or to befall someone or something. Happen has several other senses as a verb. Happen is a very general word that simply means to occur or take place. For example, the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln happened on April 15, 1865. That date is when this event took place.

Real-life examples: Halloween happens on October 31. Scientists run experiments to see what happens. Nobody knows what will happen in the future. History is a record of what happened in the past.
Used in a sentence: The police blocked off the street where the car accident happened.

Happen also means to occur due to chance or take place without any planning or intent.

Used in a sentence: Joe happened to be standing in the exact spot where the water balloon landed.

Happen is also used to mean to be on the receiving end of an event or action, particularly as a result of good or bad luck. This sense is usually written as “to happen to.”

Used in a sentence: Sherri was terrified that something horrible had happened to her kitten.

In this sense, an event is sometimes called a happening, especially if it is unusual or interesting. A slang usage of happening is used to describe an event as exciting.

Used in a sentence: Summer is usually busy with happenings like beach parties. Summertime is happening!

Synonym Usage

Happen, chance, occur refer to the taking place of an event. Happen, which originally denoted the taking place by hap or chance, is now the most general word for coming to pass: Something has happened. Chance suggests the accidental nature of an event: It chanced to rain that day. Occur is often interchangeable with happen, but is more formal, and is usually more specific as to time and event: His death occurred the following year.

Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of happen

First recorded in 1300–50, happen is from the Middle English word hap(pe)nen. See hap ¹, -en ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because the way all the pieces fit together is so crucial, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” doesn’t reveal itself without close attention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

“Having honor means being entitled to respect,” philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah writes in his seminal book The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen.

From Slate • Aug. 7, 2025

Succession star Brian Cox also returns to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade in Make It Happen - a satirical play exploring Scotland's role in the global financial crash of 2008.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2025

He has covered the Spring Revolution in Myanmar for the iHeartRadio podcast "It Could Happen Here."

From Salon • May 25, 2022

Accidents Happen is on the front, along with a picture of a puppy that has a bag of ice on its head and a thermometer in its mouth.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023