happily
Americanadverb
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in a happy manner; with pleasure.
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by good fortune; providentially; luckily.
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felicitously; appropriately; aptly.
a happily turned phrase.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of happily
A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at 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."
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.
Luckily, a second source said that Perry and Trudeau are happily “navigating a long-distance relationship,” which they insisted “hasn’t been an issue” for the couple.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
"We all know how that turned out but it meant everyone could enjoy it and start back up at lunchtime. We'd happily do the same again."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Ibrahimovic would happily return to the lair he kept during his time with the Galaxy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Were these sons and daughters all big fans of the opposite sex who dreamed of happily ever after?
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
Lord Fredrick said happily, and patted his wife’s hand.
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.
