Dictionary › H › happy
happy
2 syllables · also happier, happiestYour browser doesn’t have built-in voices. Try Chrome, Edge or Safari.
As an adjective, happy means having a feeling arising from a consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment. As a verb, it means often followed by up: to become happy.
Meanings of happy
13 meaningsadjective
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.”
Experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; favored by fortune or luck; fortunate, lucky, propitious.
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.”
of actsspeechetc.Appropriate, apt, felicitous.
“a happy coincidence”
in combinationFavoring or inclined to use.
“slaphappy, trigger-happy”
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!”
Enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
“a happy smile”
“spent many happy days on the beach”
“a happy marriage”
Well expressed and to the point
“a happy turn of phrase”
“a few well-chosen words”
Similar: well-chosen
Older and rare meanings (1)
rareof peopleoften followed by "at""in"Dexterous, ready, skilful.
noun
informalrareA happy event, thing, person, etc.
verb
informalOften followed by up: to become happy; to brighten up, to cheer up.
informalOften followed by up: to make happy; to brighten, to cheer, to enliven.
Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).