happily

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈhæp.ə.li/ UK /ˈhæp.ɪ.li/ See IPA manual

Freq #3878

Meanings

1

adv
In a happy, cheerful way.

The children played happily in the garden.
2

adv
Used to say that you are glad or willing to do something.

I will happily help you move the furniture.
3

adv
By good luck; fortunately.

Happily, no one was hurt in the accident.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a happy, cheerful way. cheerfully joyously

2 adv · used to say that you are... gladly

More blessedly bubblingly chearfully cheerily cheerlyeudaemonicallyeupepticallygaily gayly genially

Opposites

sadly

Word family

Related forms gladden happiness happy

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

happily unconscious
Unaware of an unpleasant fact and therefore free from worry about it.

Adverb + adjective

Idioms (1)

See all

happily ever after
living a happy life forever, especially as the end of a story

Etymology

From Middle English happily, happyly, happyliche, happylyche, equivalent to happy + -ly.

happily Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# happily

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ˈhæp.ə.li/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhæp.ɪ.li/
**Frequency rank:** 3878

## Meanings
1. In a happy, cheerful way.
2. Used to say that you are glad or willing to do something.
3. By good luck; fortunately.

## Examples
- The children played happily in the garden.
- I will happily help you move the furniture.
- Happily, no one was hurt in the accident.

## Synonyms
- blessedly
- bubblingly
- chearfully
- cheerfully
- cheerily
- cheerly
- eudaemonically
- eupeptically
- gaily
- gayly
- genially
- gladly

## Antonyms
- sadly

## Related Forms
- gladden
- happiness
- happy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: happily

## Etymology
From Middle English happily, happyly, happyliche, happylyche, equivalent to happy + -ly.

## AI Etymology
Happily comes from Middle English happily, happyly, happyliche, happylyche, equivalent to happy + -ly. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adverbial form is built from the named base and affix. In current use, the main senses are “In a happy, cheerful way” and “Used to say that you are glad or willing to do something”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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