happy

adjective hap·py \ ˈha-pē \

Definition of happy

happier; happiest

1 :favored by luck or fortune :fortunate

a happy coincidence

2 :notably fitting, effective, or well adapted :felicitous

a happy choice

3 a :enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment

is the happiest person I know

a happy childhood

b :expressing, reflecting, or suggestive of happiness

a happy ending

c :glad, pleased

I'm happy to meet you

d :having or marked by an atmosphere of good fellowship :friendly

a happy office

4 a :characterized by a dazed irresponsible state

a punch-happy boxer

b :impulsively or obsessively quick to use or do something

trigger-happy

c :enthusiastic about something to the point of obsession :obsessed

education-conscious and statistic-happy
—Helen Rowen

See happy defined for English-language learners

See happy defined for kids

Examples of happy in a Sentence

She was a very happy child.
You don't look happy. What's the problem?
We're all one big, happy family here.
I'd do anything to make her happy.
I could hear the children's happy laughter in the other room.
She had a very happy childhood.
They've had a very happy marriage.
I was glad the movie had a happy ending.
We are so happy that you were able to come to the party.
They are not at all happy about the rise in taxes.

Recent Examples of happy from the Web

Before becoming a starter, Hunt was just happy for the opportunity to play in the NFL when he was drafted in the spring.

— branson wright, cleveland.com, "Kareem Hunt named Kansas City Chiefs starter at running back (photos, video)," 28 Aug. 2017
But my love in particular for japchae, a Korean stir-fry made up of beautiful glass sweet potato noodles, is one of my go-to happy-place lunches.

— jill baughman, Bon Appetit, "Veggie Japchae Is the Starchy Stir-Fry You'll Always Crave," 25 Aug. 2017
Kross says research has shown that people who actively engage more with social media—by tweeting in response to news, commenting on stories, posting messages, joining online groups—tend to be slightly happier than those who do not.

— WIRED, "The Great Tech Panic: Breaking News Addiction," 25 Aug. 2017
For more deals all over, sign up for restaurants' newsletters to receive discounts or take advantage of happy hours.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "Dates on a dime, or close to it," 25 Aug. 2017
That is because his old jersey was bequeathed to £75m summer signing Romelu Lukaku, a player Zlatan is happy to have on board.

— SI.com, "Zlatan Ibrahimovic Explains Why He Chose to Rejoin Man Utd Over Other Interested Clubs," 24 Aug. 2017
Absurdist comics like Steve Gerard, who has a decade of experience, have found a happy home at Wet Cash.

— steve heisler, Chicago Reader, "Wet Cash doesn’t water down its humor," 24 Aug. 2017
The conundrum of finding an interesting late-night happy hour is not a new one.

— laurie delk, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Late-night happy hours to satisfy and satiate," 23 Aug. 2017
What should've been a happy moment turned sour when fans noticed the discrepancy between the former couple's tweets.

— stacey grant, Seventeen, "Dove Cameron and Ryan McCartan are Having Twitter Drama Over Song Rights," 22 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of happy

Middle English, from hap

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

happy Synonyms

Synonyms

fluky (also flukey), fortuitous, fortunate, heaven-sent, lucky, providential

Synonym Discussion of happy

lucky, fortunate, happy, providential mean meeting with unforeseen success. lucky stresses the agency of chance in bringing about a favorable result.

- won because of a lucky bounce

fortunate suggests being rewarded beyond one's deserts.

- fortunate in my investments

happy combines the implications of lucky and fortunate with stress on being blessed.

- a series of happy accidents

providential more definitely implies the help or intervention of a higher power.

- a providential change in the weather

fit, suitable, meet, proper, appropriate, fitting, apt, happy, felicitous mean right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance. fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

- fit for battle

suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

- clothes suitable for camping

meet suggests a just proportioning.

- meet payment

proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

- proper acknowledgement

appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

- an appropriate gift

fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

- a fitting end

apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

- apt quotations

happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

- a happy choice of words

felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

- a felicitous phrase

HAPPY Defined for English Language Learners

happy

adjective

Definition of happy for English Language Learners

: feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc.
: showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment
: pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, etc.

HAPPY Defined for Kids

happy

adjective hap·py \ ˈha-pē \

Definition of happy for Students

happier; happiest

1 :feeling or showing pleasure :glad

I'm happy you came.

2 :enjoying a condition or situation :content

They were happy together.

3 :joyful

She talked in a happy way.

4 :fortunate 1, lucky

Meeting him was a happy occurrence.

5 :being suitable for something

a happy choice

—

happily

\ˈha-pə-lē\ adverb

—

happiness

\ˈha-pē-nəs\ noun

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See words that rhyme with happy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for happy Spanish Central: Translation of happy Nglish: Translation of happy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of happy for Arabic speakers

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Origin and Etymology of happy

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Synonyms

Antonyms

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