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happy

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also:Happy

English

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WOTD – 21 November 2016

Etymology

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FromMiddle Englishhappy(“fortunate, happy”), perhaps an alteration ofMiddle Englishhappyn,happen(“fortunate, happy”), possibly related to or fromOld Norseheppinn(“fortunate, happy”); and potentially assimilated to be equivalent tohap(“chance, luck, fortune”) +‎-y. Compare alsoIcelandicheppinn(“lucky”),Faroeseheppin(“fortunate, lucky, happy”),Norwegian Nynorskheppen(“lucky”),Scotshappin(“fortunate, blessed”). See further athap.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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happy (comparativehappierormorehappy,superlativehappiestormosthappy)

  1. Having afeelingarising from aconsciousness ofwell-being or ofenjoyment;enjoyinggood of any kind, such ascomfort,peace, ortranquillity;blissful,contented,joyous.
    Synonyms:cheerful,content,delighted,elated,exultant,glad,joyful,jubilant,merry;see alsoThesaurus:happy
    Antonyms:blue,depressed,down,miserable,moody,morose,sad,unhappy;see alsoThesaurus:sad
    Music makes me feelhappy.
    • 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar),Myles Coverdale, transl.,Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible),[Cologne or Marburg]:[Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?],→OCLC,II. Cronicles ix:[7],folio xcv, recto, column 1:
      Happye are thy men, andhappie are these thy seruantes[…]
    • 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Psalms144:15:
      Happy is that people that is in such a case: yea,happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
    • 1731,Thomas Bayes,Divine Benevolence‎[1],London, page73:
      For the moſthappy univerſe is not one that conſiſts of the greateſt poſſible number of the moſthappy beings only ;[…]
    • 1733, [Alexander Pope],An Essay on Man. […], epistle II, London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […],→OCLC,page17:
      Whate’er thePaſſion, Knowledge, Fame, orPelf,
      Not one will change his Neighbour with himſelf.
      The Learn’d arehappy, Nature to explore ;
      The Fool ishappy, that he knows no more ;
      The Rich arehappy in the plenty given ;
      The Poor contents him with the Care of Heaven.
    • 1807, “That the Happy Man has Need of Worthy Friends”, in William Bridgman, transl.,The Paraphrase of an Anonymous Greek Writer, (hitherto Published Under the Name of Andronicus Rhodius) on theNicomachean Ethics ofAristotle,London:Charles Whittingham,→OCLC, book IX,page415:
      But since thehappy are sufficient to themselves they have no need of friends; and hence it is said,
      “When Fortune’s goods abound, what boots a friend?“”
      Thus then it appears that thehappy do not require friends.
    • 1829,Charles Knowlton, “On the Passions”, inElements of Modern Materialism: Inculcating the Idea of a Future State, in which All Will be More Happy, under whatever Circumstances They May be Placed than if They Experienced No Misery in this Life,Adams: A. Oakey,→OCLC,page324:
      While they are in this state striving perhaps to render their fellow beings morehappy, of whatever sect or denomination they may be, they meet with one or more persons who undertake to convert their mere cold belief in religious doctrines—which is at best little better than mere morality—into real effective religion, a religion that will move the tongue.
    • 1901, Edith Goodyear Alger, “Roy’s Birthday”, inA Primer of Work and Play,Boston:D. C. Heath and Company,→OCLC,page49:
      Ahappy birthday to you,
      Ahappy birthday to you,
      Ahappy birthday, dear Roy,
      Ahappy birthday to you.
      Note: This is the first occurrence in print of the lyrics of the song “Happy Birthday to You”.
    • 1990, Peter Woods, “Laughing at School”, inTheHappiest Days?: How Pupils Cope With Schools,Basingstoke: The Falmer Press,Taylor & Francis,→ISBN, page182:
      In different ways, therefore, for many pupils, whether they benefit greatly from the system, or just 'get by', or are 'bored stiff' by the lessons, or for the most part are completely rebellious, schooldays do often appear to be 'thehappiest days'.
    • 2013 November 21,Pharrell Williams, “Happy”, inGirl, performed byPharrell Williams:
      Because I’mhappy
      Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
      Because I’mhappy
      Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do
    • 2014, Erica Brown, “Pondering the Afterlife”, inHappier Endings: A Meditation on Life and Death,New York:Simon & Schuster,→ISBN, page49:
      People who believe that a better life awaits us after this one would appear to have secured ahappier ending, even before they come close to the end. There is little to be afraid of if you're armed with the promise of a wonderful future. Death is only a portal to greater joy.
  2. Experiencing the effect offavourablefortune;favored by fortune orluck;fortunate,lucky,propitious.
    Synonyms:fortunate,lucky,propitious;see alsoThesaurus:lucky
    Antonyms:unfortunate,unlucky,unpropitious
    • 1661,Robert Boyle, “The Conclusion”, inThe Sceptical Chymist,London: J. Cadwell,→OCLC,page429:
      […] I think I may presume that what I have hitherto Diſcourſed will induce you to think, that Chymists have been much morehappy in finding Experiments than the Cauſes of them; or in aſſigning the Principles by which they may beſt be explain’d.
    • 2022 December 15, Samanth Subramanian, “Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site”, inThe Guardian‎[2]:
      The UK’s earliest reactors – a type called Magnox – were set up to harvest plutonium for bombs; the electricity was ahappy byproduct.
    1. (archaic)Elect orsaved afterdeath,blessed.
  3. Content,willing,satisfied (with or to do something); having noobjection (to something).
    Synonym:pleased
    Antonyms:disenchanted,dissatisfied
    Are youhappy to pay me back by the end of the week?
    Yes, I amhappy with the decision.
    • 1844, “Patience and Perseverance”, inJoseph Barker, editor,The Christian, volume 1, number14,London:Chapman,→OCLC,page314:
      A Christian may behappier in low circumstances, than in high ones. He may behappier without rich friends, than with them. He may behappier in loneliness, than in a crowd of flatterers. He may behappier under reproach, than when riding on the spring-tide of popularity. He may behappier with hard work, than in a life of ease. He may behappier with coarse and scanty food, than with tables of luxury. He may behappier in sickness and persecution, than in health and quietness.
    • 2007, Iver David Reingold, “Substitution Reactions”, inOrganic Chemistry, or, “The Happy Carbon”: An Introduction Emphasizing Biological Connections,Delhi: Indo American Books,→ISBN, page308:
      A strong acid is also a substance whose conjugate base (obviously a weak base) is quitehappy with the excess electrons it got from that bond.
    • 2016, Imad A. Moosa, “The Post-crisis Regulatory Landscape: An Overview”, inContemporary Issues in the Post-crisis Regulatory Landscape,Singapore:World Scientific,→ISBN, page 8:
      This wave of "financial innovation" led to rapid growth in subprime lending, which was enhanced on the demand side by the housing boom and general asset price bubble. While the party lasted everyone washappy. Mortgage lenders werehappy to lend and keep subprime loans off their books via securitization. Issuers of ABSs werehappy to get their commissions. Borrowers werehappy to get loans without scrutiny. Investors werehappy to acquire assets that were "risk-free" and offered a return of hundreds of basis points over that offered by US Treasuries.
  4. (Of acts, speech, etc.)Appropriate,apt,felicitous.
    Antonyms:inappropriate,inapt,unfelicitous
    happy coincidence
    • 1792, James Thomson, “Letter XXXI. From the Hon. Miss Wilton to Mr. Benfield.”, inThe Denial; or, The Happy Retreat, 2nd corr. edition, volume 1,London,→OCLC,page185:
      The common privilege of your ſex affords you thehappy opportunity of alleviating your ſorrows by communicating your ſentiments and feelings to some faithful friend; but to women, even this relief is rigidly denied, and, bound by the harſh reſtraints which the delicacy and reſerve of female natures have impoſed, I muſt bear the ſecret of my ſorrows with painful ſilence.
    • 1804,[James Stephen],The Opportunity; or, Reasons for an Immediate Alliance with St. Domingo,London:Charles Whittingham,→OCLC,page101:
      You would, even by this most favourable result, be at best only replaced in the situation, and restored to thehappy opportunity which you at present possess:[…]
    • 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XIV, inNorthanger Abbey; published inNorthanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume I, London:John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818),→OCLC,page256:
      "Historians, you think," said Miss Tilney, "are nothappy in their flights of fancy. They display imagination without raising interest. […]"
    • 1990,Jean Baudrillard, translated by Chris Turner,Cool Memories, London; New York, N.Y.:Verso Books,→ISBN, page138:
      When happy events coincide, that is ahappy coincidence. But the coincidence of baneful events is ahappy coincidence too.
    • 1991 September,Stephen Fry, chapter 2, inThe Liar, London:Heinemann,→ISBN, section I,page41:
      ‘I had thehappy notion of adding an egg,’ Williams shouted back. ‘Itpoaches in the soup. Not unlike an Italianstracciatella. Singularly toothsome. […]’
  5. (in combination)Favoring orinclined to use.
    • 2002, Dan Benson, “Stupid Mistake #9: Following Fads vs. Staying the Course”, in12 Stupid Mistakes People Make with Their Money, Nashville, Tenn.:Thomas Nelson,→ISBN, page128:
      We live in a sue-happy society. If Santa slides off your roof and busts his tailbone, he could sue you, and probably will.
    • 2012 August 21, Jason Heller, “The Darkness:Hot Cakes [music review]”, inThe A.V. Club‎[3], archived fromthe original on24 August 2012:
      “Baby, I was a loser / Several years on the dole / An Englishman with a very high voice / Doing rock ’n’ roll,” sings falsetto-happy frontmanJustin Hawkins at the start of “Every Inch Of You,”Hot Cakes’ opener.
  6. (rare, of people, often followed by "at" or "in")Dexterous,ready,skilful.
    • 1761, Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym;Jonathan Swift],A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation‎[4],Edinburgh, introduction, page iii:
      For inſtance, one lady can give an anſwer better than aſk a queſtion: one gentleman ishappy at a reply; another excels in a rejoinder: one can revive a languiſhing converſation by a ſudden ſurpriſing ſentence; another is more dextrous in ſeconding; a third can fill the gap with laughing, or commending what has been ſaid.
  7. 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!

Usage notes

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  • (contented, joyous): Said of people, hours, times, thoughts, etc.
  • (fortunate, lucky): Said of efforts, expedients, omens, ventures, etc.

Alternative forms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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Translations

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contented, joyous
fortunate, lucky
content (to do something); having no objection (to something)
appropriate, apt, felicitous
may you have a happy
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

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happy (pluralhappies)

  1. (informal, rare) A happyevent,thing,person, etc.
    • 1994, Lauri Coyle,Gail Hershatter, Emily Honig, “‘Why Did I Put Up With It All These Years’: The Farah Strike”, in Maxine Schwartz Seller, editor,Immigrant Women (SUNY Series in Ethnicity and Race in American Life), 2nd rev. edition, Albany, N.Y.:State University of New York Press,→ISBN, page290:
      The strike split the Chicano community. Many workers at Farah crossed picket lines and continued to keep the plant operating. They were known as the "happies" because they wore buttons which featured a smiling face and the slogan, "I'm happy at Farah. …"

Verb

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happy (third-person singular simple presenthappies,present participlehappying,simple past and past participlehappied)

  1. (intransitive, informal)Often followed byup: tobecome happy; tobrighten up, tocheer up.
    Synonyms:blithen,cheer up,chirk,liven up,perk up
    • 2001, John L. Bullion, “Jokes”, inIn the Boat withLBJ, Plano, Tex.: Republic of Texas Press,→ISBN, page294:
      Whenever I started drinking again after abstaining for any period of time, it usually was an effort to relieve stress and to "happy up."
    • 2016 July 18,Wayne Kaatz, chapter 11, inStuck on Earth, Bloomington, Ind.:Archway Publishing,→ISBN:
      [H]e smiled[…] then asked my name. He checked it against his clipboard then sadly shook his head as if he'd been rejected himself. Told him I was looking for employment and hehappied up again, able to help by directing me to apply at the front office, that the doors were on the Gower Street side.
  2. (transitive, informal)Often followed byup: tomake happy; tobrighten, tocheer, toenliven.
    Synonyms:bright,cheer up,happify,perk up;see alsoThesaurus:gladden
    • 2007,Mireille Juchau, “Sanctuary”, inBurning In, Artarmon, N.S.W.:Giramondo Publishing for the Writing & Society Research Group,University of Western Sydney,→ISBN, page201:
      People really didn't want their Party Motivators in their photos, anonymous dancers,happying up the place. It spooked them.
    • 2015 October 26, Nickolas Martin,Ego Therapy: A Method for Healing Your Whole Self, Bloomington, Ind.: Balboa Press,Hay House,→ISBN:
      […][William] Glasser would probably say that happy people are "happying" themselves by choosing behaviors that help them to feel happy (working at their relationships, engaging in productive work activities, participating in desired recreational activities, etc.).

Further reading

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Chinese

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Etymology

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FromEnglishhappy.

Pronunciation 1

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Verb

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happy

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) toamuse oneself
  2. (by extension in Hong Kong Cantonese, neologism elsewhere, euphemistic) toparty; tomake love

Adjective

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happy

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese)happy

Adverb

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happy

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese)happily

Pronunciation 2

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Adjective

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happy

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese)happy;delightful;delighted

Adverb

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happy

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese)happily;delightfully;delightedly

References

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  • Bauer, Robert S. (2021),ABC Cantonese-English Comprehensive Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press,→ISBN, page434

German

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Etymology

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Borrowed fromEnglishhappy.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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happy (strong nominative masculine singularhappyer,comparativehappyer,superlativeamhappysten)

  1. (colloquial, chiefly predicative)glad;satisfied; momentarilyhappy
    • 2023 July 30, Johanna Pichler, “Tausende protestieren gegen AfD-Parteitag: „Omas gegen rechts“ marschieren mit”, inDie Tageszeitung: taz‎[5],→ISSN:
      Dass so viele Menschen gekommen sind, mache ihn „megahappy“.
      The fact that so many people came makes him “superhappy”.

Usage notes

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  • The German word is used as a synonym offroh(“glad, momentarily happy”) rather thanglücklich(“happy, both momentarily and generally in life”).
  • On the rare occasion that this adjective is used attributively, the positive formhappy typically remains undeclined, whereas the comparison forms are declined in the normal fashion.

Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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hap +‎-y

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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happy

  1. fortunate,prosperous,lucky;blessed

Descendants

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  • English:happy (see there for further descendants)
  • Yola:happie

References

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