# happy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈhæp.i/ · frequency rank #443

## Definitions
1. Having a feeling arising from a consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, such as comfort, peace, or tranquillity; blissful, contented, joyous.
2. Experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; favored by fortune or luck; fortunate, lucky.
3. Experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; favored by fortune or luck; fortunate, lucky.
4. Content, willing, satisfied (with or to do something); having no objection (to something).
5. Bringing or being an instance of favourable fortune; apt, felicitous, fortunate, propitious.
6. Favoring or inclined to use.
7. Dexterous, ready, skilful.
8. Implying “May you have a happy ⁓” or similar; used in phrases to wish someone happiness or good fortune at the time of a festival, celebration, or other event or activity.

## Etymology
From Middle English happy (“fortunate, happy”), perhaps an alteration of Middle English happyn, happen (“fortunate, happy”), possibly related to or from Old Norse heppinn (“fortunate, happy”); and potentially assimilated to be equivalent to hap (“chance, luck, fortune”) + -y. Compare also Icelandic heppinn (“lucky”), Faroese heppin (“fortunate, lucky, happy”), Norwegian Nynorsk heppen (“lucky”), Scots happin (“fortunate, blessed”). See further at hap.

## Easily confused with
- **hay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hay)
- **harp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-harp)
- **hazy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hazy)
- **harry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-harry)
- **hardy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hardy)
- **hasty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hasty)
- **hippo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hippo)
- **hippy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hippy)
- **hoppy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-hoppy)
- **Harps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happy-vs-harps)
- **hap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hap-vs-happy)
- **handy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/handy-vs-happy)
- **hairy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hairy-vs-happy)
- **Haley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haley-vs-happy)
- **hammy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hammy-vs-happy)
- **happen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happen-vs-happy)
- **happily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/happily-vs-happy)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ahppy`, `happyy`, `hapy`, `hapyp`, `hhappy`, `hpapy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/happy