happy
Americanadjective
-
delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing.
I'm so happy to see you!
- Antonyms:
- sad
-
characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy.
a happy mood;
a happy frame of mind.
-
willing to be helpful, as with assistance, a contribution, or participation.
We’ll be happy to bring a couple of salads to the party.
-
favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky.
Our home country is a happy, fruitful land.
- Synonyms:
- prosperous, successful, propitious, favorable
-
(used as part of an expression of good wishes on a special occasion).
Happy Valentine’s Day to my husband.
Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
-
apt or felicitous, as actions, utterances, or ideas.
Their collaboration was a happy accident.
- Synonyms:
- pertinent, opportune, fitting, appropriate
-
obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated (usually used in combination).
He was a trigger-happy gangster.
Everybody is gadget-happy these days.
idioms
adjective
-
feeling, showing, or expressing joy; pleased
-
willing
I'd be happy to show you around
-
causing joy or gladness
-
fortunate; lucky
the happy position of not having to work
-
aptly expressed; appropriate
a happy turn of phrase
-
informal (postpositive) slightly intoxicated
interjection
combining form
Usage
What is a basic definition of happy? Happy describes a feeling of joy, delight, or glee. It also describes something that is related to or shows joy. Happy can describe someone being willing to do something or be helpful. Happy is used in many expressions that wish good tidings to another person. Happy has a few other senses as an adjective.Happy describes feeling really good, as when a person in a good mood that makes them smile. Happiness refers to this positive emotion. Happily means in a happy way.Real-life examples: Everybody has something that makes them happy. Cute animals, presents, compliments, and loved ones make most people feel happy.Used in a sentence: The surprise birthday party really made Abdul happy.Happy also describes something that shows or is related to feelings of happiness and joy.Used in a sentence: The friendly clown had a happy smile. Happy describes someone being willing to do something, especially to help or assist someone else. They don’t think whatever they will do is a problem or a chore.Real-life examples: Many experts are happy to show off their knowledge. Salespeople are often happy to explain things to customers if it means selling more items.Used in a sentence: I’d be happy to give you a ride to the mall since I was going there anyway. The word happy is used in many greetings and expressions that wish a person well or wish that they have a good future.Used in a sentence: Happy birthday!
Other Word Forms
- happily adverb
- happiness noun
- overhappy adjective
- quasi-happy adjective
Etymology
Origin of happy
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English; hap 1 ( def. ), -y 1 ( def. )
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.
"I'll never have a happier day in my life," says Mr Dickmann, remembering seeing his best friends reunited with their loved ones.
From BBC
He says seeing happy couples walk hand-in-hand while Christmas shopping, just like he and his wife used to, is incredibly hard.
From BBC
As BBC News heard from locals, it might be a tall order - and not everyone is happy.
From BBC
"If I was happy, I would binge. If I was sad, I was binging. It didn't really matter, I had no filter whatsoever."
From BBC
He described the long working hours as a "very happy time, a time that I knew I had a future".
From BBC
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.
