happy
see also: Happy
Etymology

From Middle English happy, perhaps an alteration of Middle English happyn, happen ("fortunate, happy"), possibly related to or from Old Norse heppinn; and potentially assimilated to be equivalent to .

Pronunciation Adjective

happy (comparative happier, superlative happiest)

  1. Having a feeling arising from a consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, such as comfort, peace, or tranquillity; blissful, contented, joyous.
    Music makes me feel happy.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Psalms 144:15 ↗:
      Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
    • 1731, Thomas Bayes, Divine Benevolence: or, An Attempt to Prove that the Principal End of the Divine Providence and Government is the Happiness of His Creatures: Being an Answer to a Pamphlet, Entitled, Divine Rectitude; or, An Inquiry Concerning the Moral Perfections of the Deity. With a Refutation of the Notions therein Advanced Concerning Beauty and Order, the Reason of Punishment, and the Necessity of a State of Trial antecedent to Perfect Happiness, London: Printed for John Noon, at the White-Hart in Cheapside, near Mercers-Chapel, OCLC 642498368 ↗; quoted in Andrew I. Dale, Most Honourable Remembrance: The Life and Work of Thomas Bayes (Studies and Sources in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences), New York, N.Y.: Springer, 2003, ISBN 978-0-387-00499-0, page 138:
      […] For the most happy universe is not one that consists of the greatest possible number of the most happy beings only; but one that consists of that, and the greatest possible number of beings next inferior to the first rank, and so downward, till we come to those that approach the nearest to insensible matter.
    • 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle II, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC ↗, page 17 ↗:
      Whate'er the Paſſion, Knowledge, Fame, or Pelf, / Not one will change his Neighbour with himſelf. / The Learn'd are happy, Nature to explore; / The Fool is happy, that he knows no more; / The Rich are happy in the plenty given; / The Poor contents him with the Care of Heaven.
  2. Experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; favored by fortune or luck; fortunate, lucky, propitious.
    1. (archaic) Elect or saved after death, blessed.
      • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, Canto XLIII, page 66 ↗:
        How fares it with the happy dead?
  3. Content, willing, satisfied (with or to do something); having no objection (to something).
    Are you happy to pay me back by the end of the week?
    Yes, I am happy with the decision.
  4. (Of acts, speech, etc.) Appropriate, apt, felicitous.
    a happy coincidence
    • 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XIV, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC ↗, page 256 ↗:
      "Historians, you think," said Miss Tilney, "are not happy in their flights of fancy. They display imagination without raising interest.  […]"
    • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC ↗, section I, page 41 ↗:
      ‘I had the happy notion of adding an egg,’ Williams shouted back. ‘It poaches in the soup. Not unlike an Italian stracciatella. Singularly toothsome. […]’
  5. (in combination) Favoring or inclined to use.
    slaphappy, trigger-happy
  6. (rare, of people, often followed by "at" or "in") Dexterous, ready, skilful.
  7. Implying 'May you have a happy ~' or similar; used in phrases to wish someone happiness or good fortune at the time of a festival, celebration, or other event or activity.
    Happy birthday!, Happy Fourth of July!, Happy anniversary!, Happy job-hunting!
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

happy (plural happies)

  1. (informal, rare) A happy event, thing, person, etc.
Verb

happy (happies, present participle happying; simple past and past participle happied)

  1. (intransitive, informal) Often followed by up: to become happy; to brighten up, to cheer up.
  2. (transitive, informal) Often followed by up: to make happy; to brighten, to cheer, to enliven.
Synonyms
Happy
Proper noun
  1. A male given name.
  2. Surname.
  3. A place in USA:
    1. An ucomm in White County, Arkansas.
    2. A twp in Graham County, Kansas.
    3. An ucomm in Perry County, Kentucky.
    4. A town in Randall County, and.



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