happily
- 1In a happy or cheerful manner; with a feeling of happiness.
The two old friends chatted happily over coffee for hours.
The dog barked happily and wagged its tail at the door.
Similarcheerfully, joyously
Oppositeunhappily, sadly, miserably, gloomily
Note
This is the manner adverb: it describes how someone acts, as in being happily fishing at the beach. Its usual comparative is more happily, as when Defoe's life story ends "much more happily" than it began. Happilier and happiliest exist but are rare. At the front of a sentence and followed by a comma, the word usually shifts to the "fortunately" meaning.
- 2Willingly and with good will; gladly and without reluctance.
I'd happily take the weekend shift if it helps the team out.
They happily accepted the invitation to stay for dinner.
Similargladly
Oppositereluctantly, unwillingly, grudgingly
- 3By good fortune; fortunately and with a successful outcome.
Happily, the rain stopped just before the outdoor wedding began.
The missing hikers, happily, found their way back before dark.
Similarfortunately, luckily, mercifully, thankfully
Oppositeunfortunately, unluckily, sadly
Less common meaning
- 4By chance; perhaps.
The fever may break by morning, or happily it will grow worse; the doctor would promise nothing.
And who knoweth whether a thousand yeares hence a third opinion will rise, which happily shall overthrow these two precedents?
1603, Michel de Montaigne, The EssayesNote
Older English often uses happily where a modern reader expects haply, and the two meant the same thing. In John Florio's 1603 translation of Montaigne's Essayes, a third opinion "which happily shall overthrow" the others is one that may arise, not one anyone welcomes. When the word stands near shall, may or whether in such texts, read it as "perhaps" before the "fortunately" meaning.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of happily apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From Middle English happily, formed from "happy" plus the suffix "-ly."