happy ending
Americannoun
-
happy endings
plural
-
in a story, a conclusion in which good has the final victory and major issues are resolved to the satisfaction of the lead characters, often with the formation of a romantic relationship and sometimes regarded as unrealistic, cliché, or sentimental.
-
in real life, a favorable conclusion to any issue or series of events; a positive outcome for a particular person or group.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Still, Clark waved her ring around while the young audience screamed in their collective hope that all the internalized misogyny would lead to the happy ending they were promised.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
It's been a happy ending for the eggs of an elusive bird that were just inches from the flames of a large wildfire earlier this year.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
And while it comes with a happy ending, the route it takes is both tortuous and fascinating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
And though the film highlights the Braves’ improbable championship, it’s clear there isn’t necessarily an easy, happy ending to this story.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
We had a feast around her bedside, and it felt like a happy ending, but I knew we were just borrowing time.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
