1
a
: in a fortunate manner
It was happily the case that Mr. Crawley was not at home.—
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
b
: as it fortunately happens
Happily, some boyhood pleasures don't change.—P. A. Witteman
P. A. Witteman2
archaic
: by chance
3
a
: in a happy manner or state
happily married
… was happily shoveling a plate of ackee … into his mouth …—Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith
b
: in a very willing way
happily postponed the appointment
4
: in an adequate or fitting manner : successfully
Examples of happily in a Sentence
They have been happily married for 12 years.
They lived happily ever after.
We happily accept credit cards.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are a ton of local shops to rent from that will happily meet you at the ferry terminal or the airport with your rental car.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
The receptionist works behind a period cabinet converted into the sort of desk Philip Marlowe would happily put his feet on and Art Deco ornamentations abound, from the beautiful clocks, to the slightly sinister candlesticks.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
But fortunately, the larvae happily fed on the tiny crustaceans called copepods that the aquarists gave them.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
Those two youngsters happen to be a happily engaged, and happily naive, couple, and the series plays out exploring the dynamics between the two relationships, one young, loving and energetic, the other old, tired and toxic.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happily
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Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
The receptionist works behind a period cabinet converted into the sort of desk Philip Marlowe would happily put his feet on and Art Deco ornamentations abound, from the beautiful clocks, to the slightly sinister candlesticks.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
But fortunately, the larvae happily fed on the tiny crustaceans called copepods that the aquarists gave them.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
Those two youngsters happen to be a happily engaged, and happily naive, couple, and the series plays out exploring the dynamics between the two relationships, one young, loving and energetic, the other old, tired and toxic.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happily
Cite this Entry
“Happily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happily. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
happily
adverb
hap·pi·ly
ˈhap-ə-lē 
1
: in a fortunate or lucky manner
happily, no one was injured
2
: in a happy manner or state
lived happily ever after
3
: in a fitting, effective, or successful manner
remarks happily worded
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