happy-go-lucky
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of happy-go-lucky
First recorded in 1665–75
Vocabulary lists containing happy-go-lucky
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.
The difference with this one is that Mourinho, who claims 26 major honors, makes Michael Jordan seem like a happy-go-lucky guy who wasn’t terribly bothered about winning or losing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Paying tribute to her sister, Kellie described her as "a happy-go-lucky girl" with a great sense of humour.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Next to the happy-go-lucky Harry, William always came off as the earnest, somewhat colder older brother who seemed to march solemnly toward the inevitable fate of being burdened by the crown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
“A happy-go-lucky young man, neurodivergent — it practically described Aidan,” Katy says in a later interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
He realized that Goober wasn’t the cheerful, happy-go-lucky kid he’d known when school first started.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
