ever after

phrase

old-fashioned
: from that time forward
She remembered him fondly ever after.
The fairy tale ended by saying that the characters in the story lived happily ever after.
the phrase live happily ever after is also used to describe real people who are being compared in some way to characters in a fairy tale
His biography tells the story of a poor boy who grew up to be a millionaire and lived happily ever after.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ever after.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ever%20after. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster