HAPPEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does happen mean? 

• HAPPEN (verb)
  The verb HAPPEN has 5 senses:

1. come to pass

2. happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance

3. chance to be or do something, without intention or causation

4. come into being; become reality

5. come upon, as if by accident; meet with

  Familiarity information: HAPPEN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HAPPEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they happen    ... he / she / it happens   
Past simple: happened   
Past participle: happened   
-ing form: happening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Come to pass

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

come about; fall out; go on; hap; happen; occur; pass; pass off; take place

Context example:

Nothing occurred that seemed important

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "happen"):

arise; come up (result or issue)

contemporise; contemporize; synchronise; synchronize (happen at the same time)

turn out (prove to be in the result or end)

fall; shine; strike (touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly)

break (happen or take place)

chance (be the case by chance)

backfire; backlash; recoil (come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect)

coincide; concur (happen simultaneously)

bechance; befall; betide (become of; happen to)

bechance; befall; happen (happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance)

happen; materialise; materialize (come into being; become reality)

come around; roll around (happen regularly)

come off; go off; go over (happen in a particular manner)

recur; repeat (happen or occur again)

develop (be gradually disclosed or unfolded; become manifest)

anticipate (be a forerunner of or occur earlier than)

fall (occur at a specified time or place)

come (come to pass; arrive, as in due course)

go; proceed (follow a certain course)

supervene (take place as an additional or unexpected development)

give (occur)

transpire (come about, happen, or occur)

intervene (occur between other event or between certain points of time)

result (come about or follow as a consequence)

break; develop; recrudesce (happen)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
It ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

happening (an event that happens)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

bechance; befall; happen

Context example:

These things befell

Hypernyms (to "happen" is one way to...):

come about; fall out; go on; hap; happen; occur; pass; pass off; take place (come to pass)

Verb group:

happen (chance to be or do something, without intention or causation)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Chance to be or do something, without intention or causation

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

I happen to have just what you need!

Hypernyms (to "happen" is one way to...):

chance (be the case by chance)

Verb group:

bechance; befall; happen (happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
It ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 4

Meaning:

Come into being; become reality

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

happen; materialise; materialize

Context example:

Her dream really materialized

Hypernyms (to "happen" is one way to...):

come about; fall out; go on; hap; happen; occur; pass; pass off; take place (come to pass)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "happen"):

appear; come out (be issued or published)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Come upon, as if by accident; meet with

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bump; chance; encounter; find; happen

Context example:

She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Pray tell us what has happened to you.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The police are making the mistake of concentrating their attention upon the second, because it happens to be the one which is actually criminal.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

These be things which happened before I came into the land, she said, and I know not of them.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Yes—but as it happens, they are all of them very clever.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Who was to tell us what had happened then?

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"How did it happen? I am sure it must have been some adventure."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It happened to be the Doctor's birthday, too.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But it was then that the unexpected happened, the thing which projected their struggle for supremacy far into the future, past many a weary mile of trail and toil.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

There was no time to think of what might happen; a vague, overmastering fear obscured all details.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

They were slashed open and bleeding before they knew what had happened, were whipped almost before they had begun to fight.

(White Fang, by Jack London)