Phrase guide

happily ever after

adv · noun · 3 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: /ˈhæpɪli ˌɛvəɹ‿ˈɑːftə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ˈæf-/
  • General-American: /ˈhæpəli ˌɛvəɹ‿ˈæftəɹ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɑːftə(ɹ)
  • rhymes with -æftə(ɹ)

1

adv

Meaning 1

Chiefly preceded by he, she, they, etc., lived: often used as a formulaic ending in fairy tales, stories for children, and similar works: in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

Examples

  • And they lived happily ever after.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A story, or a conclusion to a story, in which all the loose ends of the plot are tied up, and all the main characters are left in a state of contentment or happiness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, narratology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eucatastrophe, fairy-tale ending, happy ending, happy ever after

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A happy period of time which is imagined never to end; specifically, the state of happiness in which one or more people (typically a loving couple) dwell for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fairy-tale ending, happy ever after

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The adverb is derived from happily (adverb) + ever after (adverb), used as a formulaic ending in works for children especially since the 19th century. The noun is derived from the adverb.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: وَعَاشُوا عِيشَة سَعِيدَة — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Bengali: এবং তারা পরে সুখে বসবাস করে (eboṅ tara pore śukhe bosbaś kore) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Catalan: i van viure feliços i van menjar anissos — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Czech: a žili šťastně až do smrti — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Danish: og de levede lykkeligt til deres dages ende — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Dutch: en ze leefden nog lang en gelukkig — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Estonian: ja kui nad surnud pole, siis elavad nad õnnelikult tänase päevani — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Finnish: onnellisena elämänsä loppuun asti — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Finnish: onnellisina elämänsä loppuun asti — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • French: ils vécurent heureux et eurent beaucoup d’enfants — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • German: und sie lebten glücklich bis ans Ende ihrer Tage — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • German: und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Greek: κι έζησαν αυτοί καλά κι εμείς καλύτερα (ki ézisan aftoí kalá ki emeís kalýtera) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Gujarati: અને તેઓ બધા પછી સુખી રહેતા હતા (ane teo badhā pachī sukhī rahetā hatā) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Hebrew: בְּאוֹשֶׁר וָעוֹשֶׁר עַד עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (beósher va'ósher 'ad 'étzem hayóm hazé) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Hindi: उसके बाद वे ख़ुशी ख़ुशी रहने लगे (uske bād ve xuśī xuśī rahne lage) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Hungarian: és boldogan éltek, míg meg nem haltak — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Icelandic: og þau lifðu vel og lengi — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Icelandic: Og þau lifðu hamingjusöm til æviloka — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Irish: agus bhí siad go léir ina gcónaí go sona sásta riamh — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Italian: e vissero per sempre felici e contenti — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Japanese: めでたしめでたし (medetashi medetashi) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Korean: 그들은 행복하게 오래 오래 살았답니다 (geudeureun haengbokhage orae orae saratdamnida) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Latvian: un viņi dzīvoja ilgi un laimīgi — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Lithuanian: ir jie gyveno ilgai ir laimingai — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Norwegian: og så levde de lykkelig alle sine dager — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Norwegian: og er de ikke døde, så lever de ennå — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Polish: i żyli długo i szczęśliwie — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Portuguese: felizes para sempre — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Russian: и жили они́ до́лго и счастливо (i žili oní dólgo i sčastlivo) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Serbo-Croatian: и живјели су дуго и сретно — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Serbo-Croatian: и живели су срећно до краја живота — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Serbo-Croatian: i živjeli su dugo i sretno — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Serbo-Croatian: i živeli su srećno do kraja života — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Slovene: in živeli so srečno do konca svojih dni — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Spanish: felices y comieron perdices — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Spanish: y colorín colorado, este cuento se ha acabado — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Spanish: felices por siempre jamás — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Spanish: felices el resto de sus días — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Spanish: feliz para siempre — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Swedish: och så levde de lyckliga i alla sina dagar — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Tamil: அவர்கள் மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் வாழ்ந்தார்கள் (avarkaḷ makiḻcciyuṭaṉ vāḻntārkaḷ) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Turkish: ve hayatlarının sonuna kadar mutlu yaşadılar — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Turkish: ve sonsuza kadar mutlu yaşadılar — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Urdu: اس کے بعد وہ خوشی خوشی رہنے لگے (us ke bād ve xuśī xuśī rahne lage) — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Welsh: ac roeddent i gyd yn byw'n hapus byth wedyn — in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大團圓 /大团圆 (dàtuányuán) — story, or a conclusion to a story, in which all the loose ends of the plot are tied up, and all the main characters are left in a state of contentment or happiness
  • Finnish: onnellinen loppu — story, or a conclusion to a story, in which all the loose ends of the plot are tied up, and all the main characters are left in a state of contentment or happiness
  • Portuguese: felizes para sempre — story, or a conclusion to a story, in which all the loose ends of the plot are tied up, and all the main characters are left in a state of contentment or happiness
  • Finnish: onnellinen loppu — happy period of time which is imagined never to end; state of happiness in which one or more people dwell for the rest of their lives
  • Portuguese: felizes para sempre — happy period of time which is imagined never to end; state of happiness in which one or more people dwell for the rest of their lives