a. [ Compar. Happier superl. Happiest. ] [ From Hap chance. ] 1. Favored by hap, luck, or fortune; lucky; fortunate; successful; prosperous; satisfying desire; as, a happy expedient; a happy effort; a happy venture; a happy omen. [ 1913 Webster ] Chymists have been more happy in finding experiments than the causes of them. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Experiencing the effect of favorable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous; as, happy hours, happy thoughts. [ 1913 Webster ] Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. Ps. cxliv. 15. [ 1913 Webster ] The learned is happy Nature to explore, The fool is happy that he knows no more. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Dexterous; ready; apt; felicitous. [ 1913 Webster ] One gentleman is happy at a reply, another excels in a in a rejoinder. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ] Happy family, a collection of animals of different and hostile propensities living peaceably together in one cage. Used ironically of conventional alliances of persons who are in fact mutually repugnant. -- Happy-go-lucky, trusting to hap or luck; improvident; easy-going. “Happy-go-lucky carelessness.” W. Black. [ 1913 Webster ]
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