happy

happy

happy [happy happier happiest]   [ˈhæpi]    [ˈhæpi]  adjective (hap·pier, hap·pi·est)

 
FEELING/GIVING PLEASURE
1. feeling or showing pleasure; pleased
• a happy smile/face
• You don't look very happy today.
• ~ to do sth We are happy to announce the engagement of our daughter.
• ~ for sb I'm very happy for you.

• ~ (that)… I'm happy (that) you could come.

2. giving or causing pleasure
• a happy marriage/memory/childhood
• The story has a happy ending.

• Those were the happiest days of my life.  

AT CELEBRATION

3. if you wish sb a Happy Birthday, Happy New Year, etc. you mean that you hope they have a pleasant celebration  

SATISFIED
4. satisfied that sth is good or right; not anxious
• ~ (with sb/sth) Are you happy with that arrangement?
• I'm not happy with his work this term.
• She was happy enough with her performance.
• ~ (about sb/sth) If there's anything you're not happy about, come and ask.
• I'm not too happy about her living alone.

• I said I'd go just to keep him happy.  

WILLING

5. ~ to do sth (formal) willing or pleased to do sth
• I'm happy to leave it till tomorrow.

• He will be more than happy to come with us.  

LUCKY

6. lucky; successful
Syn:  fortunate
• By a happy coincidence, we arrived at exactly the same time.

• He is in the happy position of never having to worry about money.  

SUITABLE

7. (formal) (of words, ideas or behaviour) suitable and appropriate for a particular situation
• That wasn't the happiest choice of words.
more at the happy/golden mean at  mean  _n.
Idioms: happy event ▪ happy medium ▪ many happy returns ▪ not a happy bunny
Derived Word: happiness
See also: not a happy camper  
Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘lucky’): from the noun hap ‘good fortune’ + -y.  
Word Family:
happy adjective (≠ unhappy)
happily adverb (≠ unhappily)
happiness noun (≠ unhappiness) 
Synonyms:
glad
happy • pleased • delighted • proud • relieved • thrilled
These words all describe people feeling happy about sth that has happened or is going to happen.
glad • [not usually before noun] happy about sth or grateful for it: ▪ He was glad he'd come. ◊ ▪ She was glad when the meeting was over.
happy • pleased about sth nice that you have to do or sth that has happened to sb: ▪ We are happy to announce the engagement of our daughter.
pleased • [not before noun] happy about sth that has happened or sth that you have to do: ▪ She was very pleased with her exam results. ◊ ▪ You're coming? I'm so pleased.
glad, happy or pleased?
Feeling pleased can suggest that you have judged sb/sth and approve of them. Feeling glad can be more about feeling grateful for sth. You cannot be ‘glad with sb’: The boss should be glad with you. Happy can mean glad, pleased or satisfied.
delighted • very pleased about sth; very happy to do sth; showing your delight: ▪ I'm delighted at your news.
Delighted is often used to accept an invitation: ▪ ‘Can you stay for dinner?’ ‘I'd be delighted (to).’
proud • pleased and satisfied about sth that you own or have done, or are connected with: ▪ proud parents ◊ ▪ He was ▪ proud of ▪ himself for not giving up.
relieved • feeling happy because sth unpleasant has stopped or has not happened; showing this: ▪ You'll be relieved to know your jobs are safe.
thrilled • [not before noun] (rather informal) extremely pleased and excited about sth: ▪ I was thrilled to be invited.
delighted or thrilled?
Thrilled may express a stronger feeling than delighted, but delighted can be made stronger with absolutely, more than or only too. Thrilled can be made negative and ironic with not exactly or less than: ▪ She was ▪ not exactly thrilled ▪ at the prospect of looking after her niece.
glad/happy/pleased/delighted/relieved/thrilled about sth
pleased/delighted/relieved/thrilled at sth
glad/happy/pleased/delighted/thrilled for sb
glad/happy/pleased/delighted/proud/relieved/thrilled that…/to see/hear/find/know…
very glad/happy/pleased/proud/relieved
absolutely delighted/thrilled 
Synonyms:
happy
satisfied • content • contented • joyful • blissful
These words all describe feeling, showing or giving pleasure or satisfaction.
happy • feeling, showing or giving pleasure; satisfied with sth or not worried about it: ▪ a happy marriage/ memory/ childhood ◊ ▪ I said I'd go, just to ▪ keep him happy ▪.
satisfied • pleased because you have achieved sth or because sth has happened as you wanted it to; showing this satisfaction: ▪ She's never satisfied with what she's got. ◊ ▪ a satisfied smile
content • [not before noun] happy and satisfied with what you have: ▪ I'm perfectly ▪ content just to ▪ lie in the sun.
contented • happy and comfortable with what you have; showing this: ▪ a contented baby ◊ ▪ a long contented sigh
content or contented?
Being contented depends more on having a comfortable life; being content can depend more on your attitude to your life: you can have to be content or learn to be content. People or animals can be contented but only people can be content.
joyful • (rather formal) very happy; making people very happy
blissful • making people very happy; showing this happiness: ▪ three blissful weeks away
joyful or blissful?
Joy is a livelier feeling; bliss is more peaceful.
happy/satisfied/content/contented with sth
a happy/satisfied/contented/blissful smile
a happy/joyful occasion/celebration
to feel happy/satisfied/content/contented/joyful
very/perfectly/quite happy/satisfied/content/contented 
Synonyms:
satisfaction
happiness • pride • contentment • fulfilment
These are all words for the good feeling that you have when you are happy or when you have achieved sth.
satisfaction • the good feeling that you have when you have achieved sth or when sth that you wanted to happen does happen: ▪ He derived great satisfaction from knowing that his son was happy.
happiness • the good feeling that you have when you are happy: ▪ Money can't buy you happiness.
pride • a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction that you get when you or people who are connected with you have done sth well or own sth that other people admire: ▪ The sight of her son graduating filled her with pride.
contentment • (rather formal) a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you have: ▪ They found contentment in living a simple life.
fulfilment • a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you do or have done: ▪ her search for personal fulfilment
satisfaction, happiness, contentment or fulfilment?
You can feel satisfaction at achieving almost anything, small or large; you feel fulfilment when you do sth useful and enjoyable with your life. Happiness is the feeling you have when things give you pleasure and can be quite a lively feeling; contentment is a quieter feeling that you get when you have learned to find pleasure in things.
satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment/fulfilment in sth
real satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment/fulfilment
true satisfaction/happiness/contentment/fulfilment
great satisfaction/happiness/pride
quiet satisfaction/pride/contentment
to feel satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment
to bring sb satisfaction/happiness/pride/contentment/fulfilment
to find satisfaction/happiness/contentment/fulfilment 
Example Bank:
• Dad seemed perfectly happy with my explanation.
• For the first time in her life, she felt truly happy.
• He went home from time to time, to keep his mother happy.
• Her boss was not entirely happy about the situation.
• I can die happy knowing that I have achieved this.
• I was quite happy with the way things went.
• I'm just happy to be back home.
• I'm not too happy about her attitude.
• It had been a gloriously happy time.
• Money won't make you happy.
• Outwardly the couple appeared happy.
• So you're getting married, I hear. I'm really happy for you!
• We'd be only too happy to accept your invitation.
• By a happy chance, I got a hotel room just five minutes from the university.
• By a happy coincidence, John was in London at that time too.
• Happy birthday!
• He is now in the happy position of never having to worry about money.
• I looked around at all the happy faces.
• I picked the restaurant pretty much at random, but it proved a happy choice all round.
• I said I'd go, just to keep him happy.
• If there's anything you're not happy about, come and ask.
• The story has a happy ending.

• a happy marriage/memory/childhood