Word
hap
US/ˈhæp/
UK/hˈæp/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a person's luck or fate, especially when it happens by chance. It is an old-fashioned word for how things turn out in life.
n. one's fortune, luck, or lot in life. Primarily literary or archaic in modern usage, though it persists in certain regional dialects to describe a chance occurrence.
Examples
“By some strange hap, we met again in the city.”
“Whether by good hap or careful planning, the harvest was finished before the first frost arrived.”
“The poet muses on the cruel hap of the protagonist, whose downfall is precipitated not by a moral failing but by a series of unfortunate coincidences beyond his control.”
Examples
simple
“By some strange hap, we met again in the city.”
contextual
“Whether by good hap or careful planning, the harvest was finished before the first frost arrived.”
complex
“The poet muses on the cruel hap of the protagonist, whose downfall is precipitated not by a moral failing but by a series of unfortunate coincidences beyond his control.”
Usage
In modern English, the word is almost exclusively found in literary contexts or as the root of 'happen' and 'mishap'.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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