What does "happily" mean?

1. (in a cheerful way) in a way that shows you are happy or enjoying yourself. 2. (willingly) to do something with pleasure or without any problems. 3. (fortunately) used to say that something is lucky or a good result. 4. (perhaps) by chance or maybe.

How do you use "happily"?

In modern English, 'perhaps' or 'by chance' is used instead; this sense is almost exclusively found in 19th-century literature or earlier.

happily

adv.

US //ˈhæpəɫi// UK //hˈæpɪli// hap·pi·ly

1 in a cheerful way (adv.)
A2 Elementary

in a way that shows you are happy or enjoying yourself.

in a joyful or cheerful manner. This manner adverb typically follows the verb it modifies.

Example

The children played happily in the garden all afternoon.

Example

The toddler hummed happily to himself while arranging his wooden blocks into a precarious tower on the living room rug.
- cheerfully
- joyfully
- contentedly
- sadly
- miserably
2 willingly (adv.)
B1 Intermediate

to do something with pleasure or without any problems.

with a willing or cooperative attitude; often used to indicate a lack of objection.

Example

I would happily help you with your homework if you need it.

Example

The experienced diplomat happily accepted the invitation to mediate the dispute, seeing it as an opportunity to restore regional stability.
- reluctantly
- unwillingly

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3 fortunately (adv.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

used to say that something is lucky or a good result.

by good fortune or luck. Often functions as a sentence adverb to comment on the success of a situation.

Example

Happily, the rain stopped just before the outdoor wedding began.

Example

Happily, the structural damage was less severe than the engineers had initially feared, allowing the restoration project to stay within budget.
- fortunately
- luckily
- unfortunately
- unluckily
4 perhaps (adv.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

by chance or maybe.

by chance or happenstance. This sense is restricted to older texts and formal literary contexts.

Example

If happily you should meet him on your travels, give him my regards.

Example

Should you happily find the lost manuscript among those dusty archives, the discovery would rewrite the history of the entire period.

Usage

In modern English, 'perhaps' or 'by chance' is used instead; this sense is almost exclusively found in 19th-century literature or earlier.
- perchance
- maybe

Origin

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

Idioms1 entry

01
happily ever after
Chiefly preceded by he, she, they, etc., lived: often used as a formulaic ending in fairy tales, stories for children, and similar works: in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives.