happy hour

American  

noun

• happy hours
  plural

1. a cocktail hour or longer period at a bar, during which drinks are served at reduced prices or with free snacks.

   happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m.

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happy hour British  

noun

1. a time, usually in the early evening, when some pubs or bars sell drinks at reduced prices

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happy hour Idioms  

1. A period in the late afternoon or early evening when a bar or lounge features drinks at reduced prices. For example, The hotel bar has a happy hour from five to seven every day. [1960s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• happy hours
  plural

Etymology

Origin of happy hour

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

happy hour

It’s been her gateway to new friendships, a walking group, brunches and even a regular happy hour.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

"My friends and I love happy hour, just like many of you do," she told them.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

I learned about chocolatines last year from the Journal’s Joshua Robinson, who fainted from embarrassment when I walked into a Toulouse patisserie and ordered a “chocolatini,” like it was happy hour at an airport Chili’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

I sidled up to the bar with happy hour in full swing, feeling a little nauseated from the heat and mileage.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

Some of the pilots were drifting back from the bar, still laughing at the rare faux pas of a colonel’s wife calling her husband at happy hour.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy