happily
Americanadverb
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in a happy manner; with pleasure.
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by good fortune; providentially; luckily.
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felicitously; appropriately; aptly.
a happily turned phrase.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of happily
A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at 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."
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.
As we watched the group wander about, a female capybara waded into a mud puddle along the truck path and rolled around happily.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
Another character pretended to rough up the first character until the sign opened to say “ICE CREAM,” and then everyone danced happily.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
I have sung its praises before, but this is one of those deceptively simple meals I could happily eat several times a week.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Without it, the IRS will happily play you like a fiddle.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
When it comes to food, there are only a few types that he will eat happily: plain rice, plain pasta, plain paratha, plain pizza, chicken nuggets, Cap’n Crunch, and cookies.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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.
