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Synonyms

happily

American  
[hap-uh-lee] / ˈhæp ə li /

adverb

  1. in a happy manner; with pleasure.

  2. by good fortune; providentially; luckily.

  3. felicitously; appropriately; aptly.

    a happily turned phrase.
happily Idioms  

  1. see live happily ever after.

Other Word Forms

  • overhappily adverb

Etymology

Origin of happily

A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; happy, -ly

Explanation

Do something happily and you'll be cheerful and lighthearted. It can lift your spirits just to hear your friend whistling happily as she walks down the sidewalk with a smile on her face. If you're happy to do something, you'll do it happily. Most of us will happily finish that last piece of cake or happily cuddle a tiny puppy. A second meaning of this adverb is "fortunately," so you could say, "Happily, I shut the front door before your cat got out!" This definition dates from the late 14th century — earlier, people used happily to mean "accidentally." And of course the very happiest stories end with "they lived happily ever after."

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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.

Looksminning has been unwittingly developed in the labs of happily married suburban dads for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

He happily showed off the vehicle—except, of course, its stop-start.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

One of the youngest sweet tooths is Matilda, six, who helped her mum Jasmin Gelsana, 36, decorate a store-bought cake, and who happily admits: "I'm a good eater, not a baker".

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

George happily describes “Songs of Douglass & Littell” as a passion project.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

I would happily get my diploma if he would give up the idea of my getting married.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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.