happy
adjective
delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing.
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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:
I’m happy to hear you say that because that was very deliberate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“We did the whole scene, and at the end he said, ‘You are going to be very happy.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Judy Moreland, of Mesquite, Texas, isn’t happy that her Medicare Advantage plan will no longer be offered next year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
I am and happy for both of them.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
How everything I’ve done over the last bit of forever to keep everyone happy has blown up in my face.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Gasped Dr. Cook: "Thanks -happy," sank back into a coma.
From Time Magazine Archive
And it hopes its new laws – which would also impose a legal duty of care on online services – will help Australians become happier and healthier.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
I seem to be happier with my mustache.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Other members, including women, said wives were happier with the idea of their husbands whiling away the hours in a men-only environment rather than a mixed bar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
People who believe they are out-earning their peers do appear to be actually happier, according to a 2024 paper circulated by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
I follow him, feeling safe, happier than in a long, long time.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
This is a skillset of someone who is happiest in the darkest corners of government—the swampiest of swamps—a realm of acronyms, white papers, and multihyphenate bureaucracies.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Israel remains among the 10 happiest nations in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
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
The light of the inn was the happiest and best thing Tristran had seen on his journey through Faerie.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
