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

And yet even with all that to look at, all eyes were on baby Rocki — her 7-month-old daughter, happily cradled in her arms. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026

People were genuinely surprised to see David sitting happily among these big animals and see the babies. —Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026

Southern states and regions happily lay claim to all types of breads and put their own unique spins on them. —Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026

In the wild, groundhogs feed on a variety of plants and some insects, but in gardens, groundhogs happily devour most vegetables, as well as fruit, bulbs, and tree bark. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 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