happy
adjective
delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing.
Trivia Time
What was the original meaning of the word happy?
happy
American
[hap-ee]
/ ˈhæp i /
adjective
-
happier,
comparative
-
happiest
superlative
-
delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing.
I'm so happy to see you!
- Antonyms:
- sad
-
characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy.
a happy mood;
a happy frame of mind.
-
willing to be helpful, as with assistance, a contribution, or participation.
We’ll be happy to bring a couple of salads to the party.
-
favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky.
Our home country is a happy, fruitful land.
- Synonyms:
- prosperous, successful, propitious, favorable
-
(used as part of an expression of good wishes on a special occasion).
Happy Valentine’s Day to my husband.
Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
-
apt or felicitous, as actions, utterances, or ideas.
Their collaboration was a happy accident.
- Synonyms:
- pertinent, opportune, fitting, appropriate
-
obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated (usually used in combination).
He was a trigger-happy gangster.
Everybody is gadget-happy these days.
idioms
happy
1
British
/ ˈhæpɪ /
adjective
-
feeling, showing, or expressing joy; pleased
-
willing
I'd be happy to show you around
-
causing joy or gladness
-
fortunate; lucky
the happy position of not having to work
-
aptly expressed; appropriate
a happy turn of phrase
-
informal (postpositive) slightly intoxicated
interjection
-happy
2
British
combining form
happy
More Idioms
Usage
What is a basic definition of happy? Happy describes a feeling of joy, delight, or glee. It also describes something that is related to or shows joy. Happy can describe someone being willing to do something or be helpful. Happy is used in many expressions that wish good tidings to another person. Happy has a few other senses as an adjective. Happy describes feeling really good, as when a person in a good mood that makes them smile. Happiness refers to this positive emotion. Happily means in a happy way. Real-life examples: Everybody has something that makes them happy. Cute animals, presents, compliments, and loved ones make most people feel happy. Used in a sentence: The surprise birthday party really made Abdul happy. Happy also describes something that shows or is related to feelings of happiness and joy. Used in a sentence: The friendly clown had a happy smile. Happy describes someone being willing to do something, especially to help or assist someone else. They don’t think whatever they will do is a problem or a chore. Real-life examples: Many experts are happy to show off their knowledge. Salespeople are often happy to explain things to customers if it means selling more items. Used in a sentence: I’d be happy to give you a ride to the mall since I was going there anyway. The word happy is used in many greetings and expressions that wish a person well or wish that they have a good future. Used in a sentence: Happy birthday!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of happy
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English; see origin at hap 1 ( def. ), -y 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Happy is a feeling of joy, pleasure, or good fortune — exactly how you'd feel if you learned that you won the lottery or got accepted into your number one choice of colleges. Happy hails from the Middle English word hap, meaning "good luck." Many of the early European words for happy actually referred to good luck, rather than a feeling of joy. On its own, happy means an enjoyable or satisfied state of being. When hyphenated, it can refer to an overwhelming inclination to do something. Someone who is trigger-happy, for example, has an overwhelming urge to shoot things, while a clothes-happy person is obsessed with taking trips to the mall.
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.
See Examples For:
We are quite happy to look through rose-tinted spectacles at what we had in the past.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
"He is just the most stubborn, funny, resilient little boy. He loves simple things. When the trees move in the wind, it makes him so happy," she says.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
That virtuous life for Aristotle was marked by finding the mean, or happy medium, when confronted with rivaling claims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Despite how painful the condition is and the need for more research, Ciara says she has finally started to believe that Ralph can live a happy life.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Then I would write a little note saying that Mama had seen the person and wished her a happy birthday.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Gasped Dr. Cook: "Thanks -happy," sank back into a coma.
From Time Magazine Archive
“You could be sad in a bookshop,” Sophie muses at one point, “but you were never happier than when you were in a bookshop.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
I’m much happier with an occasional Big Seasonal Prep Day — fill the freezer with soups, sauces, breakfast burritos and other useful things — and then let the ensuing weeks fall where they will.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
"Ever since I got more involved, I've felt much happier and more peaceful of a person."
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The more you complete your self-care tasks, the happier your bird becomes.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
She looked better than she had since her fall, and maybe happier than I’d seen her in a long while.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
One of China's golds went to Mu Xinyue, who called it "the happiest moment of my life" after she became the first woman to win an Asian Games title in eSports.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
She’s my best friend, and I’m the happiest I have ever been when I’m with her, but I have also never felt so supported and safe, ever.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Melanie Banders, mother of Sherman, said her son is happiest at summer camp without technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“Who could we get to better guarantee fan experience than the man who runs ‘the happiest place on earth?’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
She said that the first day she walked without her crutch was the happiest day of her life.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
