Definition of 'happy'
Word forms: comparative happier
, superlative happiest
1. adjective
Someone who is happy has feelings of
pleasure, usually because something
nice has
happened or because they
feel
satisfied with their life.
Marina was a confident, happy child.
I'm just happy to be back running.
Her face relaxed into a happy smile.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A happy time, place, or
relationship is
full of happy feelings and
pleasant
experiences, or has an
atmosphere in which people feel happy.
Except for her illnesses, she had had a particularly happy childhood.
It had always been a happy place.
We have a very happy marriage.
3. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE, ADJECTIVE that, ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
If you are happy about a
situation or
arrangement, you are satisfied with it, for
example because you
think that something is being done in the
right way.
If you are not happy about a repair, go back and complain.
[+ about/with]
He's happy that I deal with it myself.
4. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE, usually ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
I'll be happy to answer any questions if there are any.
That's a risk I'm happy to take.
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Happy is used in
greetings and other
conventional
expressions to say that you
hope someone will
enjoy a
special
occasion.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Easter!
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
By happy coincidence, Robert met Richard and Julia and discovered they were experiencing
similar problems.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
happy
Word Frequency
happy in British English
adjectiveWord forms: -pier or -piest
1.
3.
causing joy or gladness
exclamation
See also
trigger-happyCollins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
happily (ˈhappily) adverb
happiness (ˈhappiness)
noun
Word origin
C14: see hap1, -y1Word Frequency
-happy in British English
combining form in adjective
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
happy in American English
adjectiveWord forms: ˈhappier or ˈhappiest
SYNONYMY NOTE:
happy generally suggests a feeling of great pleasure, contentment, etc. [a happy marriage];
glad1 implies more strongly an exultant feeling of joy [your letter made her so glad], but both
glad1,
happy are commonly used in merely polite formulas expressing gratification [I'm glad, or happy, to have met you];
cheerful implies a steady display of bright spirits, optimism, etc. [he's always cheerful in the morning];
joyful,
joyous both imply great elation and rejoicing, the former generally because of a particular
event, and the latter as a matter of usual temperament [the joyful throngs, a joyous family]1.
favored by
circumstances; lucky; fortunate
2.
4.
intoxicated, or irresponsibly
quick to act, as if intoxicated
sometimes used in hyphenated compounds see also
slap-happy,
trigger-happy OPPOSITE: sad
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
happily (ˈhappily)
adverb
happiness (ˈhappiness)
noun
Example sentences including
happy
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
Read more…
Quotations
Happy the man, and happy he
alone
He who can call today his own;
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow, do thy worst, for I have lived todayImitation of Horace
He who can call today his own;
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow, do thy worst, for I have lived todayImitation of Horace
Happy men are
grave. They carry their happiness cautiously, as they would a glass filled to the
brim which the
slightest movement could cause to
spill over, or
breakLes Diaboliques
More idioms containing
happy
Trends of
happy
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In other languages
happy
British English: happy
/ˈhæpɪ/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is happy has feelings of joy or contentment.
She was a confident, happy child.
- American English: happy
- Arabic: سَعِيد
- Brazilian Portuguese: feliz
- Chinese: 快乐的
- Croatian: sretan
- Czech: šťastný spokojený
- Danish: glad
- Dutch: gelukkig
- European Spanish: feliz
- Finnish: onnellinen
- French: heureux
- German: glücklich
- Greek: ευτυχισμένος
- Italian: felice
- Japanese: 幸福な
- Korean: 행복한
- Norwegian: glad
- Polish: szczęśliwy
- European Portuguese: feliz
- Romanian: fericit
- Russian: счастливый
- Latin American Spanish: feliz
- Swedish: lycklig
- Thai: เป็นสุข
- Turkish: mutlu
- Ukrainian: щасливий
- Vietnamese: hạnh phúc
Nearby words of
happy
Related terms of
happy
Source
Definition of happy from the
Collins English Dictionary
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