happily

adverb

hap·​pi·​ly ˈha-pə-lē 

1

a

: in a fortunate manner

It was happily the case that Mr. Crawley was not at home.

—Anthony Trollope

b

: as it fortunately happens

Happily, some boyhood pleasures don't change.

—P. A. Witteman

2

archaic : by chance

3

a

: in a happy manner or state

happily married

… was happily shoveling a plate of ackee … into his mouth …

—Zadie Smith

b

: in a very willing way

happily postponed the appointment

4

: in an adequate or fitting manner : successfully

Synonyms of happily

• cheerfully

Examples of happily in a Sentence

They have been happily married for 12 years.

They lived happily ever after.

We happily accept credit cards.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now playback all the degenerate, violent entertainment Julianne has happily participated in throughout her career. —Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026

However, his Comeback costar Lisa Kudrow revealed in December 2019 to the Chicago Tribune that the actor is happily married. —Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026

Seasonal cleaning is a divisive ritual—one that homeowners, designers, and cleaning experts either swear by or happily skip. —Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 16 May 2026

Samsung and Google clearly believe people will happily let AI book flights, hotels and restaurants with minimal oversight, pulling personal information from across your apps to fill in complex forms. —Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing happily

• lived happily ever after
• live happily ever after

Rhymes for happily

• unhappily

Kids Definition

happily

adverb

hap·​pi·​ly ˈhap-ə-lē 

1

: in a fortunate or lucky manner

happily, no one was injured

2

: in a happy manner or state

lived happily ever after

3

: in a fitting, effective, or successful manner

remarks happily worded