happening
Americannoun
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.
“Everyone can see what is now happening in La Guaira,” said Diego Arria, a former high-ranking Venezuelan diplomat who lives in Miami, referring to the state where the heaviest quake damage has been reported.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
"I was literally being prepped to go into surgery when I first found out online that was happening," he said.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
“If the broadening out is making a sustainable comeback, this price momentum in semis stocks likely needs to reach a climax, and it appears that may be happening, on schedule,” Wilson says.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
I designed the seminar partly around theater offerings in Los Angeles to connect students to recent developments in the field and to consolidate awareness that something special is happening in the American theater.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
“I’ve never seen this place before,” Chitto said, giving Harry a chance to settle down from whatever was happening in her head.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
