HAPPY (happier, happiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: happier    , happiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does happy mean? 

• HAPPY (adjective)
  The adjective HAPPY has 4 senses:

1. enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

2. marked by good fortune

3. eagerly disposed to act or to be of service

4. well expressed and to the point

  Familiarity information: HAPPY used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HAPPY (adjective)

Comparative: happier   
Superlative: happiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

Context example:

a happy marriage

Similar:

blessed (characterized by happiness and good fortune)

laughing; riant (showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness)

golden; halcyon; prosperous (marked by peace and prosperity)

bright (characterized by happiness or gladness)

blissful (completely happy and contented)

Also:

euphoric (exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation)

felicitous (exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style)

elated (exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits)

content; contented (satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are)

cheerful (being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits)

glad (showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy)

joyful (full of or producing joy)

joyous (full of or characterized by joy)

Attribute:

felicity; happiness (state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy)

happiness (emotions experienced when in a state of well-being)

Antonym:

unhappy (experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent)

Derivation:

happiness (emotions experienced when in a state of well-being)

happiness (state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Marked by good fortune

Synonyms:

felicitous; happy

Context example:

a happy outcome

Similar:

fortunate (having unexpected good fortune)

Derivation:

happiness (state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Eagerly disposed to act or to be of service

Synonyms:

glad; happy

Context example:

glad to help

Similar:

willing (disposed or inclined toward)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Well expressed and to the point

Synonyms:

happy; well-chosen

Context example:

a few well-chosen words

Similar:

felicitous (exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style)

 Context examples 

Dogs are not eaten in California. Why not leave him here? He is happy. He'll never want for food—you know that. He'll never suffer from cold and hardship.

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

I continued at home with my wife and children about five months, in a very happy condition, if I could have learned the lesson of knowing when I was well.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

She expressed herself most willing, ready, happy to remain.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

For the first time in weeks he felt happy.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Oh, Mina, I am so happy that I don't know what to do with myself.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Many planets are gathered in your seventh house of committed partnerships, so the outlook for you is either extremely happy or not happy at all, with almost no room in between.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I then shook hands with Mr. Dick, who shook hands with me a great many times, and hailed this happy close of the proceedings with repeated bursts of laughter.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

If you can be induced to honour us with a visit, you will make us happy beyond expression.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)