Standard Lemma guide

happily

adv · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhæp.ɪ.li/
  • General-American: /ˈhæp.ə.li/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: aptly (in some h-dropping accents)
  • rhymes with -æpɪli
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AE1 P AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a happy or cheerful manner; with happiness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This time next month I’ll be happily fishing at the beach.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cheerfully, joyously

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

By good chance; fortunately, successfully.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

With good will; in all happiness; willingly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I will happily help you look for your lost wallet.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gladly

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

By chance; perhaps.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haply

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

in an unexpectedly lucky way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • happily he was not injured

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: sadly

6

adverb

Meaning 6

in a joyous manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they shouted happily

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: merrily, mirthfully, gayly, blithely, jubilantly

Antonyms: unhappily

History

Etymology

From Middle English happily, happyly, happyliche, happylyche, equivalent to happy + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

97 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: за щастие (za štastie) — by good chance, fortunately
  • Catalan: feliçment — by good chance, fortunately
  • Catalan: afortunadament — by good chance, fortunately
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幸运地 /幸运 (xìngyùn de) — by good chance, fortunately
  • Czech: se štěstím — by good chance, fortunately
  • Esperanto: feliĉe — by good chance, fortunately
  • Estonian: õnneks — by good chance, fortunately
  • Finnish: onneksi — by good chance, fortunately
  • French: heureusement — by good chance, fortunately
  • French: par bonheur — by good chance, fortunately
  • German: glücklicherweise — by good chance, fortunately
  • Hungarian: szerencsére — by good chance, fortunately
  • Italian: fortunatamente — by good chance, fortunately
  • Japanese: 運良く (un'yoku) — by good chance, fortunately
  • Latin: feliciter — by good chance, fortunately
  • Norman: heûtheusement — by good chance, fortunately
  • Old English: ġesǣliġlīċe — by good chance, fortunately
  • Polish: szczęśliwie — by good chance, fortunately
  • Portuguese: felizmente — by good chance, fortunately
  • Russian: к сча́стью (k sčástʹju) — by good chance, fortunately
  • Sanskrit: स्वस्ति (svasti) — by good chance, fortunately
  • Spanish: afortunadamente — by good chance, fortunately
  • Ukrainian: на ща́стя (na ščástja) — by good chance, fortunately
  • Arabic: بِسَعَادَة (bi-saʕāda) — in a happy manner
  • Bulgarian: щастливо (štastlivo) — in a happy manner
  • Burmese: ပျော်ပျော် (pyau-pyau) — in a happy manner
  • Catalan: feliçment — in a happy manner
  • Catalan: alegrement — in a happy manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 快樂地 /快乐地 (kuàilè de) — in a happy manner
  • Czech: šťastně — in a happy manner
  • Czech: blaze — in a happy manner
  • Esperanto: ĝoje — in a happy manner
  • Estonian: õnnelikult — in a happy manner
  • Finnish: onnellisesti — in a happy manner
  • French: joyeusement — in a happy manner
  • French: gaiement — in a happy manner
  • German: glücklich — in a happy manner
  • German: glücklicherweise — in a happy manner
  • German: fröhlich — in a happy manner
  • Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰 (gabaurjaba) — in a happy manner
  • Hindi: सुखपूर्वक (sukhpūrvak) — in a happy manner
  • Hindi: ख़ुशी से (xuśī se) — in a happy manner
  • Hindi: प्रसन्नतापूर्वक (prasannatāpūrvak) — in a happy manner
  • Hungarian: boldogan — in a happy manner
  • Hungarian: örömmel — in a happy manner
  • Italian: felicemente — in a happy manner
  • Japanese: 楽しく (tanoshiku) — in a happy manner
  • Central Kurdish: بەخۆشی (bexoşî) — in a happy manner
  • Latin: laetē — in a happy manner
  • Polish: szczęśliwie — in a happy manner
  • Portuguese: alegremente — in a happy manner
  • Portuguese: felizmente — in a happy manner
  • Russian: сча́стливо (sčástlivo) — in a happy manner
  • Russian: счастли́во (sčastlívo) — in a happy manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: радо — in a happy manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: sretno — in a happy manner
  • Slovak: šťastne — in a happy manner
  • Spanish: felizmente — in a happy manner
  • Spanish: alegremente — in a happy manner
  • Spanish: dichosamente — in a happy manner
  • Swedish: glatt — in a happy manner
  • Telugu: సుఖముగా (sukhamugā) — in a happy manner
  • Ukrainian: щасли́во (ščaslývo) — in a happy manner
  • Bulgarian: с удоволствие (s udovolstvie) — willingly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 欣然地 (xīnrán de) — willingly
  • Czech: ochotně — willingly
  • Esperanto: volonte — willingly
  • Estonian: rõõmuga — willingly
  • Estonian: hea meelega — willingly
  • Finnish: halukkaasti — willingly
  • French: volontiers — willingly
  • German: bereitwillig — willingly
  • German: gerne — willingly
  • Hindi: प्रसन्नतापूर्वक (prasannatāpūrvak) — willingly
  • Hungarian: szívesen — willingly
  • Italian: volentieri — willingly
  • Japanese: 快く (kokoroyoku) — willingly
  • Latin: libenter — willingly
  • Latin: prolixe — willingly
  • Latin: propense — willingly
  • Latin: sponte — willingly
  • Latin: grate — willingly
  • Portuguese: de bom grado — willingly
  • Russian: с ра́достью (s rádostʹju) — willingly
  • Russian: с удово́льствием (s udovólʹstvijem) — willingly
  • Russian: охо́тно (oxótno) — willingly
  • Serbo-Croatian: с радошћу — willingly
  • Serbo-Croatian: са задовљством — willingly
  • Slovak: rád — willingly
  • Slovak: rada — willingly
  • Spanish: de buena gana — willingly
  • Spanish: gustosamente — willingly
  • Spanish: a solaz — willingly
  • Swedish: gladeligen — willingly
  • Ukrainian: ра́до (rádo) — willingly
  • Ukrainian: із задово́ленням (iz zadovólennjam) — willingly
  • Ukrainian: з ра́дістю (z rádistju) — willingly
Real reading context

happily in complete knowledge articles