happening

1 being in the latest or current fashion those are some happening duds, man Synonyms à la mode (also a la mode), au courant, chic, cool [slang], exclusive, fashionable, fresh [slang], stylish, hip, in, modish, sharp, smart, snappy, supercool, swell, swish, trendy, voguishRelated Words downtown, edgy, funky; dapper, dashing, dressy, kicky, natty, rakish, sassy, saucy, spiffy, spruce; chichi, classy, flossy, haute (also haut), nobby, posh, ritzy, soigné (or soignée), swank (or swanky); elegant, graceful, handsome, majestic, refined, sophisticated, stately, tasteful, understated; doggish, doggy, flashy, gallant; dandyish, dudish, foppish; ultrachic, ultracool, ultrahip, ultraposh, ultrasmart, ultrasophisticatedNear Antonyms cheesy, tacky, unattractive, unbecoming; graceless, inelegant, tasteless, trashy, unhandsome; frowsy (or frowzy), sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy; disheveled (or dishevelled), messy, mussy, rumpled, wrinkled; shabby, sleazyAntonyms dowdy, out, outmoded, styleless, unchic, uncool, unfashionable, unmodish, unstylish

2 marked by much life, movement, or activity the downtown theater district is a happening place this autumn Synonyms aboil, abubble, abuzz, animated, astir, brisk, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, alive, hopping, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, thriving, vibrantRelated Words abounding, crowded, overflowing, populous, swarming, teeming, throngingAntonyms asleep, dead, inactive, lifeless, sleepy

3 enjoying widespread favor or approval that might be a happening outfit right now, but not on a woman who'll never see 40 again Synonyms big, crowd-pleasing, du jour, faddish, faddy, fashionable, favorite, popular, hot, in, large, modish, pop, popularized, red-hot, vogue, voguishRelated Words semipopular; favorite, preferred, selected; desirable, liked, wanted; celebrated, famed, famous, noted, notorious, prominent, renowned, well-known; fabled, fabulous, legendary; leading, notable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable; important, significantNear Antonyms washed-up; despised, detested, disliked, hated, rejected; insignificant, unimportant; indistinguished, unexceptional; anonymous, nameless, obscure, unknown; inconspicuousAntonyms out, unfashionable, unpopular

1 an exciting or noteworthy event that one experiences firsthand the President's visit to the school was a real happening for teachers and students alike Synonyms emprise, experience, exploit, gest (or geste), adventure, timeRelated Words escapade, lark, ploy; act, action, deed, doing, feat; episode, occasion; baptism, ordeal, test, trial, tribulation; enterprise, risk, venture; expedition, exploration, mission, performance, quest, stuntNear Antonyms bore, bummer, bust, downer, drag

2 something that happens gave a detailed account of all the happenings of the weekend Synonyms affair, circumstance, episode, hap, event, incident, occasion, occurrence, thingRelated Words coincidence, co-occurrence, fluke, freak; landmark, milepost, milestone, page, phenomenon, turning point; adventure, experience, time; happenchance, happenstance; accident, crisis, emergency, juncture; achievement, deed, exploit, feat; news, tidings