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
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