definitions

happy

[ hap-ee ]
/ ˈhæp i /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR happy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, hap·pi·er, hap·pi·est.

delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person.
characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy: a happy mood; a happy frame of mind.
favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky: a happy, fruitful land.See Synonym Study at fortunate.
apt or felicitous, as actions, utterances, or ideas.
obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated (usually used in combination): a trigger-happy gangster. Everybody is gadget-happy these days.

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RELATED WORDS

cheerful, contented, overjoyed, ecstatic, elated, joyous, delighted, pleased, pleasant, lively, merry, peaceful, upbeat, joyful, glad, jubilant, thrilled, successful, apt, fortunate

Nearby words

happening, happenstance, happi coat, happily, happiness, happy, happy as the day is long, happy camper, happy dust, happy event, happy family

Origin of happy

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at hap1, -y1

Related forms

o·ver·hap·py, adjectivequa·si-hap·py, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for happy

British Dictionary definitions for happy

happy

/ (ˈhæpɪ) /

adjective -pier or -piest

interjection

(in combination)happy birthday; happy Christmas
See also trigger-happy

Derived Forms

happily, adverbhappiness, noun

Word Origin for happy

C14: see hap 1, -y 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with happy

happy

In addition to the idioms beginning with happy

  • happy as the day is long
  • happy camper
  • happy hour
  • happy hunting ground
  • happy medium

also see:

  • many happy returns
  • trigger happy
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.