happily

adverb

hap·​pi·​ly ˈha-pə-lē How to pronounce happily (audio)
1
a
: in a fortunate manner
b
: as it fortunately happens
happily, some boyhood pleasures don't changeP. A. Witteman
2
archaic : by chance
3
: in a happy manner or state
4
: in an adequate or fitting manner : successfully

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 That's a deal any Allure beauty editor would happily sign up for. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023 Sharing enthusiasm is the far more gratifying (and, happily, more frequent) part of the job. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023 But if the Netflix drama was a blushing bride dreaming of happily ever after, The Buccaneers might be her worldlier cousin — more skeptical and more pragmatic, but with an intriguing sharpness that feels all her own. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Nov. 2023 Comer wore her smoky eye on the red carpet, but happily for the rest of us, the look is the perfect way to segue from the office to after-dark activities. Georgia Day, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2023 Put them in dire straits, Chabon seems to be saying, and Jews will descend to the level of their enemies — and the U.S. government will happily back them. Jack Butler, National Review, 4 Nov. 2023 Whether true Tifosi might happily trade that level of exclusivity for Ferrari’s iconic red remains a question that perhaps the Romans International car can answer. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2023 Ultimately, the two achieve happily stable monogamy, marry and move to the suburbs. Matt Stevens, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2023 For most entertainment and sports companies, that means coming together to deliver a product so good that nine out of 10 people choose to purchase it and happily devour it daily. Jason Kilar, Variety, 26 Oct. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near happily

Cite this Entry

“Happily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happily. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

happily

adverb
hap·​pi·​ly ˈhap-ə-lē How to pronounce happily (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on happily

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