hap

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /hæp/ UK /hæp/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like hop /æ/ vs /ɑ/ Sounds like hep /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Meanings

1

noun
chance or fortune; (verb) to happen by chance

By some lucky hap, the lost letter reached her at last.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · chance or fortune; (verb)... chance luck fortune fate happenstance accident

Opposites

certainty design

Word family

Forms haplyhapped

Derived forms happy haplesshaplyhappen

Related forms happen mishap perhaps happenstance

Etymology

From Middle English hap, borrowed from Old Norse happ ('chance, good luck'), from Proto-Germanic *hampą. The verb 'to happen' is a frequentative derivative.

happ Old Norse *hampą Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# hap

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /hæp/
**IPA (UK):** /hæp/

## Meanings
1. chance or fortune; (verb) to happen by chance

## Examples
- By some lucky hap, the lost letter reached her at last.

## Synonyms
- chance
- luck
- fortune
- fate
- happenstance
- accident

## Antonyms
- certainty
- design

## Derived Forms
- happy
- hapless
- haply
- happen

## Related Forms
- happen
- mishap
- perhaps
- happenstance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: happ
- Root: *hampą

## Etymology
From Middle English hap, borrowed from Old Norse happ ('chance, good luck'), from Proto-Germanic *hampą. The verb 'to happen' is a frequentative derivative.

## AI Etymology
Hap is from Middle English hap, borrowed from Old Norse happ ('chance, good luck'), from Proto-Germanic *hampą. The verb 'to happen' is a frequentative derivative. In present-day use, it means chance or fortune; (verb) to happen by chance. Derived formations include happy, hapless, haply, and happen. Related vocabulary includes happen, mishap, perhaps, and happenstance.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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