happen

verb

hap·​pen ˈha-pən How to pronounce happen (audio)
-pᵊm
happened; happening ˈhap-niŋ How to pronounce happen (audio)
ˈha-pə-

intransitive verb

1
: to occur by chance
often used with it
it so happens I'm going your way
2
: to come into being or occur as an event, process, or result
mistakes will happen
3
: to do, encounter, or attain something by or as if by chance
I happen to know the answer
4
a
: to meet or discover something by chance
happened upon a system that workedRichard Corbin
b
: to come or go casually : make a chance appearance
he might happen by at any time
5
: to come especially by way of injury or harm
I promise nothing will happen to you

Examples of happen in a Sentence

Something like that was bound to happen sooner or later. You never know what's going to happen when they get together. What happened at school today? “What's happening?” “They're installing new equipment.”
Recent Examples on the Web The collision happened around 3:40 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 80 west of Mace Boulevard. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 It's been almost a year since Love Is Blind season 6 stopped filming, and a lot has happened with the cast. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 At the hospital, Nex explained to the police what happened inside the bathroom, per footage obtained by ABC News. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 The incident happened against the backdrop of several flight incidents and reports of unruly passengers in recent months – including a plug door blowing off an Alaska Airlines plane during flight and five smaller incidents reported by United Airlines in a seven-day span this month. Rashard Rose, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 But that's not likely to happen until the Fed begins cutting its short-term interest rate, something Wall Street is largely betting won't happen until June, according to data from CME Group. Alex Veiga, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 From 2020 to 2022, the peak had already happened by now. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 According to Gordon, although flathead fishing is a nighttime game most of the year, hunts now should happen during daylight hours. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024 The promo is happening at all of the chain’s four San Diego County locations. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'happen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from hap

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of happen was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near happen

Cite this Entry

“Happen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happen. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

happen

verb
hap·​pen ˈhap-ən How to pronounce happen (audio)
ˈhap-ᵊm
happened; happening ˈhap-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce happen (audio)
1
: to occur or come about by chance
2
: to take place : occur
3
: to have occasion or opportunity
happened to overhear
4
a
: to meet or find something by chance
happened upon the right answer
b
: to appear casually or by chance
happened into the room just as the music started
5
: to come by way of injury or harm
nothing will happen to you
Etymology

Middle English happenen "to occur by chance," from hap "chance, chance occurrence" — related to happy, mishap, perhaps

More from Merriam-Webster on happen

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