live happily ever after

Idioms

Spend the rest of one's life in happiness, as in In her romantic novels the hero and heroine end up marrying and then live happily ever after. This hyperbolic phrase ends many fairy tales. [Mid-1800s]

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.

"There's a perception that once a child's adopted, they'll live happily ever after, and there is no platform to complain or to even have your voice," Mina says.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

The figure they can sell their U.S. house at a big profit, rent abroad and live happily ever after.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 31, 2025

It’s clear that even if Paula is eventually freed from prison — she is — no one is likely to live happily ever after.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023

You, whoever you are, live happily ever after: safe and loved.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2022

Perhaps we’re only giving each other a break—a chance to pretend my journey into the spirit world will not happen—and we’ll be able to live happily ever after.

From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023