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Synonyms

happily

American  
[hap-uh-lee] / ˈhæp ə li /

adverb

  1. in a happy manner; with pleasure.

  2. by good fortune; providentially; luckily.

  3. felicitously; appropriately; aptly.

    a happily turned phrase.
happily Idioms  

  1. see live happily ever after.

Other Word Forms

  • overhappily adverb

Etymology

Origin of happily

A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; happy, -ly

Explanation

Do something happily and you'll be cheerful and lighthearted. It can lift your spirits just to hear your friend whistling happily as she walks down the sidewalk with a smile on her face. If you're happy to do something, you'll do it happily. Most of us will happily finish that last piece of cake or happily cuddle a tiny puppy. A second meaning of this adverb is "fortunately," so you could say, "Happily, I shut the front door before your cat got out!" This definition dates from the late 14th century — earlier, people used happily to mean "accidentally." And of course the very happiest stories end with "they lived happily ever after."

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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.

Members of the general public ask for them, including for their children, and doctors happily oblige, says Mir.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

I spend hours happily fixing house issues, meeting friends, volunteering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

It would be an easy win to cast Gellar in a reskin of one of her renowned characters, but “Ready or Not 2” happily doesn’t play it so safe.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Harry Redknapp has said he would happily take a call from Spurs despite being sacked as manager in June 2012.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“If there were bread,” Alexander ventured, “we would happily give you some. Arf!”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.