Synonyms

happily

American

[hap-uh-lee] / ˈhæp ə li /

adverb

in a happy manner; with pleasure.
by good fortune; providentially; luckily.
felicitously; appropriately; aptly.

a happily turned phrase.

happily Idioms

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

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.

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

What a thing it would be if America could see this story end happily, constructively.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Pastas, casseroles, soups—they all live quite happily in that soft, velvety register.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

She worries about the disappearance of music’s middle class even as she notes happily that “Again & Again” by the Bird and the Bee “recently had a little TikTok moment,” as she puts it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Frank floated very happily in the clown cup all the way to the bathroom.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023