happen

[ hap-uhn ]

verb (used without object)

1. to take place; come to pass; occur:

   Something interesting is always happening in New York.

   Synonyms: betide

2. to come to pass by chance; occur without apparent reason or design:

   Don't ask me what caused it—it just happened, that's all.

3. to have the fortune or lot (to do or be as specified); chance:

   I happened to see him on the street.

4. to befall, as to a person or thing:

   Something dreadful has happened to me.

5. to meet or discover by chance (usually followed by on or upon ):

   to happen on a clue to a mystery.

6. to be, come, go, etc., casually or by chance:

   My friend happened along.

7. Slang. to be very exciting or interesting:

   That party was happening!

happen

/ ˈhæpən /

verb

1. intr (of an event in time) to come about or take place; occur
2. intrfoll byto (of some unforeseen circumstance or event, esp death), to fall to the lot (of); be a source of good or bad fortune (to)

   if anything happens to me, it'll be your fault

3. tr to chance (to be or do something)

   I happen to know him

4. tr; takes a clause as object to be the case, esp if by chance, that

   it happens that I know him

adverb

1. dialect.
   1. another word for perhaps
   2. ( as sentence modifier )

      happen I'll see thee tomorrow

Usage

See occur

Word History and Origins

Origin of happen¹

First recorded in 1300–50, happen is from the Middle English word hap(pe)nen. See hap ¹, -en ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of happen¹

C14: see hap ¹, -en ¹

Synonym Study

Happen, chance, occur refer to the taking place of an event. Happen, which originally denoted the taking place by hap or chance, is now the most general word for coming to pass: Something has happened. Chance suggests the accidental nature of an event: It chanced to rain that day. Occur is often interchangeable with happen, but is more formal, and is usually more specific as to time and event: His death occurred the following year.

Example Sentences

“My house burned down in the Woolsey fire so I know what it means when this happens.”

From Los Angeles Times

She, of all people, knows exactly what will happen to them if they do.

From Salon

“They were my people. Had I not stood by them and something bad had happened to them who would have been responsible for them?”

From BBC

"If people think the scientific community has been telling them that 1.5 degrees C is a tipping point, but nothing happened when we went over 1.5 degrees C, that can threaten scientific credibility."

From Salon

And what exactly is supposed to be happening?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• appear
• arise
• arrive
• crop up
• develop
• fall
• go on
• hit
• materialize
• meet
• pass
• result
• take effect
• take place
• transpire

More About Happen

What is a basic definition of happen?

Happen means to occur, to come to pass by chance, or to befall someone or something. Happen has several other senses as a verb.

Happen is a very general word that simply means to occur or take place. For example, the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln happened on April 15, 1865. That date is when this event took place.

• Real-life examples: Halloween happens on October 31. Scientists run experiments to see what happens. Nobody knows what will happen in the future. History is a record of what happened in the past.
• Used in a sentence: The police blocked off the street where the car accident happened. 

Happen also means to occur due to chance or take place without any planning or intent.

• Used in a sentence: Joe happened to be standing in the exact spot where the water balloon landed. 

Happen is also used to mean to be on the receiving end of an event or action, particularly as a result of good or bad luck. This sense is usually written as “to happen to.”

• Used in a sentence: Sherri was terrified that something horrible had happened to her kitten.

In this sense, an event is sometimes called a happening, especially if it is unusual or interesting. A slang usage of happening is used to describe an event as exciting.

• Used in a sentence: Summer is usually busy with happenings like beach parties. Summertime is happening!

Where does happen come from?

The first records of happen come from the early 1300s. It comes from the Middle English happenen, which is formed from the older word hap, meaning “luck” or “event,” and the suffix -en, which turns verbs into adjectives (fasten) or nouns (strengthen).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to happen?

• happening (noun, present tense verb)

What are some synonyms for happen?

• occur
• pass
• transpire
• arise
• materialize

What are some words that share a root or word element with happen? 

• happen by
• happen on
• happenstance
• happening

What are some words that often get used in discussing happen?

• events
• life
• accidents
• mistakes
• how
• what
• when 
• where
• why

How is happen used in real life?

Happen is an extremely common word that means to occur or take place.

I'd like to see a day when there was no news. None. Zilch. Zip. I'd turn on CNN and Brooke Baldwin would say, "Nothing happened today, so we're going to show a bunch of rock videos."

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 24, 2019

We walked by a house today that had a long pipe in the front yard labelled “candy chute” and the woman who lived there happened to be outside as we walked by and said “want to test it out?” and sent a little candy bar down it for my kid

— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) October 17, 2020

Seriously, what happened to Aerosmith in the 90's? Or what did the 90's do to them?

— Kris Williams (@KrisWilliams) October 10, 2010

Try using happen!

True or False?

If a boxing match happened in Chicago, it means that the fight took place in the city of Chicago.