Showing results for "happening"

• present participle of happen.

happening

American  

[hap-uh-ning] / ˈhæp ə nɪŋ /

noun

happenings plural

1. something that happens; occurrence; event.

   Synonyms:

   case, affair, instance, episode, incident

2. an unconventional dramatic or artistically orchestrated performance, often a series of discontinuous events involving audience participation.

3. any event considered worthwhile, unusual, or interesting.

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happening British  

/ ˈhæpənɪŋ, ˈhæpnɪŋ /

noun

1. an occurrence; event

2. an improvised or spontaneous display or performance consisting of bizarre and haphazard events

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adjective

1. informal fashionable and up-to-the-minute

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• happenings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of happening

First recorded in 1545–55; 1965–70 happening for def. 2; happen + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“It’s hard, and I don’t know what’s happening now.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

Owner Jane Mackie says demand for organic dairy is growing year-on-year, particularly in milk, with that growth happening faster in England than Scotland.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

"Every country I go to asks about the next-generation American nuclear technology. I say...it's happening right now," Wright said.

From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026

“Short-term pain for long-term gain is what is happening on Big Tech,” they said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 28, 2026

He’d never remembered that moment of kindness, for he’d been too close to death to understand what was happening.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• accident
• adventure
• circumstance
• incident
• milestone
• phenomenon
• proceeding