happy

[ hap-ee ]

/ ˈhæp i /

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See synonyms for: happy / happier / happiest on Thesaurus.com

adjective, hap·pi·er, hap·pi·est.

delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person.

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: a happy, fruitful land.

(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.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR happy

1 joyous, joyful, blithe, cheerful, merry, contented, blissful, satisfied.

4 favorable, propitious; successful, prosperous.

6 appropriate, fitting, opportune, pertinent.

See synonyms for happy on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR happy

1 sad.

See antonyms for happy on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of happy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at hap¹, -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM happy

o·ver·hap·py, adjectivequa·si-hap·py, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use happy in a sentence

They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now, similarly, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: "Bend over and take it like a prisoner!"
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps on his own nowadays, Epstein is trying his best to webmaster over a dozen URLs.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But yes, I pictured a James Bond-type just sauntering over to her.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The debate over who really pulled off the Sony hack, then, could continue indefinitely.
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is most peculiar, and when he plays that way, the most bewitching little expression comes over his face.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
After we had passed over this desert, we found several garisons to defend the caravans from the violence of the Tartars.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
After relievedly giving the pistol to the nearest soldier, he stumbled quickly over to Brion and took his hand.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
And that was that if he and his wife were to ever live together again and be happy, the family were to be kept out of it.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for happy (1 of 2)

happy

/ (ˈhæpɪ) /

adjective -pier or -piest

feeling, showing, or expressing joy; pleased

willingI'd be happy to show you around

causing joy or gladness

fortunate; luckythe happy position of not having to work

aptly expressed; appropriatea happy turn of phrase

(postpositive) informal slightly intoxicated

interjection

(in combination)happy birthday; happy Christmas

Derived forms of happy

happily, adverbhappiness, noun

Word Origin for happy

C14: see hap 1, -y 1

British Dictionary definitions for happy (2 of 2)

-happy

adj combining form

denoting excessive enthusiasm for or devotion togun-happy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with happy

happy

In addition to the idioms beginning with happy

happy as the day is long
happy camper
happy hour
happy hunting ground
happy medium

also see:

many happy returns
trigger happy

happy

OTHER WORDS FOR happy

OPPOSITES FOR happy

Origin of happy

OTHER WORDS FROM happy

Words related to happy

How to use happy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for happy (1 of 2)

Derived forms of happy

Word Origin for happy

British Dictionary definitions for happy (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with happy