01 a. Favored by hap, luck, or fortune; lucky; fortunate; successful; prosperous; satisfying desire; as, a happy expedient; a happy effort; a hap…
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1.
Favored by hap, luck, or fortune; lucky; fortunate; successful; prosperous; satisfying desire; as, a happy expedient; a happy effort; a happy venture; a happy omen.“Chymists have been more happy in finding experiments than the causes of them.” — Boyle.
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2.
Experiencing the effect of favorable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous; as, happy hours, happy thoughts.“Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.” — Ps. cxliv. 15.“The learned is happy Nature to explore, The fool is happy that he knows no more.” — Pope.
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3.
Dexterous; ready; apt; felicitous.“One gentleman is happy at a reply, another excels in a in a rejoinder.” — Swift.
Phrases & compounds
Happy family —
a collection of animals of different and hostile propensities living peaceably together in one cage. Used ironically of conventional alliances of persons who are in fact mutually repugnant.
Happy-go-lucky —
trusting to hap or luck; improvident; easy-going.