- present participle of happen.
happening
Americannoun
-
happenings
plural
noun
-
an occurrence; event
-
an improvised or spontaneous display or performance consisting of bizarre and haphazard events
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of happening
First recorded in 1545–55; 1965–70 happening for def. 2; happen + -ing 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.
See Examples For:
The more surprising story isn’t what’s happening in the world’s most important crude chokepoint — it’s why the oil market no longer seems to care as much as it did just a few months ago.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
A similar transition is happening in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
"Another issue is inclusivity. It's important to tackle the culture of secrecy and making sure everyone has an awareness of what's happening to their bodies and their peers and how best to support them."
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
"We track what's happening and where, because our relatives, friends and colleagues are all over Kyiv and the region, so at least we understand what is happening and where," Reshetnyk said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
I can barely fathom that it’s happening at all.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard and more star in an eight-part series about a retirement community beset by strange happenings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The litigation unveiled the private happenings of Hollywood elite, including texts and emails from Lively, Baldoni and their host of A-list friends.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
They’re all free “drop-in” happenings, with no registration required.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
It’s been a season of unusual happenings, so prepare for a postseason of the same.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2025
Those who’d lived in the cottage before now recounted strange happenings from years back.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
