happy
Feeling or showing joy and pleasure.
Word facts
Definition
Happy describes a feeling of joy, pleasure, or contentment. When you are happy, things feel good and you experience a positive, warm emotional state. Happiness can come from small moments — a kind word, a sunny day — or from long-term satisfaction with your life.
Usage: Happy can describe a feeling right now (I am happy today), a general state (a happy person), or willingness (I am happy to help). The third use means 'willing' or 'pleased to do something' — it is common in polite professional language.
Example sentences
- 1
She felt truly happy when her whole family was together for the holidays.
- 2
The children were happy to hear that school was cancelled for a snow day.
- 3
He was happy with his progress after weeks of focused, consistent work.
Word family
From Middle English hap ('luck, fortune'), borrowed from Old Norse happ ('chance, luck'). Originally meant 'lucky' or 'favored by fortune'. Over time it shifted inward to describe an emotional feeling of joy rather than external luck.
Happy ends in '-py' — think of a playful puppy! Puppies are almost always happy.
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FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the noun form of happy?
The noun form is happiness. Example: Happiness comes in unexpected moments.
How do you spell happy?
Happy is spelled h-a-p-p-y, with a double p in the middle.
What is the comparative form of happy?
The comparative is happier and the superlative is happiest.
How many syllables does happy have?
Happy has 2 syllables: hap-py. The stress is on the first syllable.