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

The turtle, now named Porkchop for her voracious appetite, is now happily recovering at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026

The restaurant happily accommodated our request for mocktail pairings instead of ones with alcohol. —John Newton, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026

Mark Mooney and his wife, Judy, have been happily married for 38 years. —Samantha Chaney, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026

Not just as an isolated set of islands, distinct from our wider restaurant culture, but happily mixing with it, and sometimes even reinventing itself along the way. —Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Feb. 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