Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - happy

(happier, happiest) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Someone who is happy has feelings of pleasure, usually because something nice has happened or because they feel satisfied with their life. Marina was a confident, happy child... I’m just happy to be back running... ADJ • happily Albert leaned back happily and lit a cigarette. ADV: usu ADV with v • happiness I think mostly she was looking for happiness. N-UNCOUNT 2. A happy time, place, or relationship is full of happy feelings and pleasant experiences, or has an atmosphere in which people feel happy. It had always been a happy place... We have a very happy marriage. ADJ: usu ADJ n 3. If you are happy about a situation or arrangement, you are satisfied with it, for example because you think that something is being done in the right way. If you are not happy about a repair, go back and complain... He’s happy that I deal with it myself... ADJ: v-link ADJ, ADJ about/with n/-ing, ADJ that, ADJ to-inf 4. If you say you are happy to do something, you mean that you are very willing to do it. I’ll be happy to answer any questions if there are any... ADJ: v-link ADJ, usu ADJ to-inf • happily If I’ve caused any offence over something I have written, I will happily apologise. = gladly ADV: ADV with v 5. Happy is used in greetings and other conventional expressions to say that you hope someone will enjoy a special occasion. Happy Birthday!... Happy Easter! many happy returns: see return ADJ: ADJ n 6. A happy coincidence is one that results in something pleasant or helpful happening. By happy coincidence, Robert met Richard and Julia and discovered they were experiencing similar problems. ADJ: ADJ n