happening

noun

hap·pen·ing | \ ˈhap-niŋ

, ˈha-pə-\

Definition of happening

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something that happens : occurrence

2 : an event or series of events designed to evoke a spontaneous reaction to sensory, emotional, or spiritual stimuli

3 : something (such as an event) that is particularly interesting, entertaining, or important

happening

adjective

Definition of happening (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : very fashionable : in a happening hairstyle

2 : offering much stimulating activity a happening dance club

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about happening

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Examples of happening in a Sentence

Noun

the President's visit to the school was a real happening for teachers and students alike gave a detailed account of all the happenings of the weekend

Adjective

This is quite a happening town on the weekends. those are some happening duds, man

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Honestly, though, the chances of that happening aren't too far off. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "All the Signs That Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish are Working on a Collab Together," 4 Apr. 2019 The setting is London’s mean streets, a place of strange happenings. — Leslie Lenkowsky, WSJ, "Five Best: Leslie Lenkowsky on Novels About Philanthropy," 7 Dec. 2018 Both accounts were active during the election cycle—Guccifer 2.0 was also suspended once in 2016—and spread a range of documents that showed some of the backroom happenings at the DNC. — Christopher Carbone, Fox News, "Twitter boots Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks after Mueller indictment," 16 July 2018 Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising because some of these happenings were far out of the ordinary. — Carl Martin, Detroit Free Press, "Fab Five scandal doesn't tell full story of Ed Martin: 'He helped everybody'," 30 Apr. 2018 Early civilizations found the spring equinox and these other heavenly happenings a reliable way to keep track of the seasons, and many of today’s cultures continue to pay tribute to them just as their ancestors did. — Jill Gleeson, Country Living, "What Exactly Is the Spring Equinox?," 19 Mar. 2019 From nightlife to family fun, this is your guide to some of the best happenings all over town. — cleveland.com, "22 things to do in Cleveland the weekend of May 10-13," 10 May 2018 Location provided by the Millennium Biltmore hotel, follow all the happenings at this landmark here! — Seventeen, "These Teens Attended the 2019 Grammys Like IRL Celebrities and It's Total GOALS," 12 Feb. 2019 The content team covers all the happenings on the Goop website. — Elisa Lipsky-karasz, WSJ, "Gwyneth Paltrow Wants to Convert You," 4 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

What was once a sleepy college town next to a railroad stop is now one of the most happening cities in the state of Texas. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "See the evolution of College Station and Texas A&M in vintage photos," 5 Apr. 2018 Waco was already a happening place before the Gaines began remodeling homes. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "The Texas city on TripAdvisor’s ‘Destinations on the Rise’ list probably isn’t what you think," 16 Feb. 2018 In any case, these days, the most happening stuff is often happening between the floats. — NOLA.com, "37 nutty Mardi Gras dance and marching groups ... and counting," 1 Feb. 2018 Don’t forget to stop by the Mallmart parking lot after a Friday night football game for the most happening tailgate parties. — Jessica Macleish, Teen Vogue, "Every Brand “Riverdale” Mentions," 23 Jan. 2018 Again in 1921, that very happening year, the poet Manuel Maples Arce plastered Mexico City with broadsheets announcing the birth of a cultural movement. — Holland Cotter, New York Times, "“Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910-1950”," 27 Oct. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'happening.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.