1
a
: in a fortunate manner
b
: as it fortunately happens
happily, some boyhood pleasures don't change—
P. A. Witteman
P. A. Witteman2
archaic
: by chance
3
: in a happy manner or state
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
Earlier, Mary Tyler Moore had become a household name playing the lovable, happily married Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Amid the decor, the couple could be seen sweetly embracing each other, with the last pic showing Short happily holding the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winner as Monét is wrapped around him.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Good, because there is one Duck — Justin Herbert — who will happily embarrass them.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
Brandon Armstrong is married to influencer Brylee Armstrong, and Witney Carson remains happily married to her high school sweetheart, Carson McAllister.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for happily
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Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Amid the decor, the couple could be seen sweetly embracing each other, with the last pic showing Short happily holding the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winner as Monét is wrapped around him.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Good, because there is one Duck — Justin Herbert — who will happily embarrass them.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
Brandon Armstrong is married to influencer Brylee Armstrong, and Witney Carson remains happily married to her high school sweetheart, Carson McAllister.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for happily
Cite this Entry
“Happily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happily. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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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