happy

happy [hap′ē]

adj.

happier, happiest [ME happi < hap: see HAP¹]

1. favored by circumstances; lucky; fortunate

2. having, showing, or causing a feeling of great pleasure, contentment, joy, etc.; joyous; glad; pleased

3. exactly appropriate to the occasion; suitable and clever; apt; felicitous [a happy suggestion]

4. intoxicated, or irresponsibly quick to act, as if intoxicated: sometimes used in hyphenated compounds: see SLAP-HAPPY, TRIGGER-HAPPY

happily

adv.

happiness

n.

SYN.- HAPPY generally suggests a feeling of great pleasure, contentment, etc. [a happy marriage ]; GLAD¹ implies more strongly an exultant feeling of joy [your letter made her so glad], but both GLAD¹ and HAPPY are commonly used in merely polite formulas expressing gratification [I'm glad, or happy, to have met you ]; CHEERFUL implies a steady display of bright spirits, optimism, etc. [he's always cheerful in the morning ]; JOYFUL and JOYOUS both imply great elation and rejoicing, the former generally because of a particular event, and the latter as a matter of usual temperament [the joyful throngs, a joyous family ] -ANT. SAD