Definition of 'happy'
Word forms: comparative happier
, superlative happiest
1. adjective
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.
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.
4. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE, usually ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Happy is used in
greetings and other
conventional
expressions to say that you
hope someone will
enjoy a
special
occasion.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
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
Examples of 'happy' in a sentence
happy
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
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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
View usage for:
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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