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Happy vs Hap - What's the difference?

happy | hap | Derived terms |

Hap is a derived term of happy.



As an adjective happy

is experiencing the effect of favourable 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 a noun hap is

that which happens; an occurrence or happening, especially an unexpected, random, chance, or fortuitous event; chance; fortune; luck.

As a verb hap is

to happen; to befall; to chance.

happy

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Experiencing the effect of favourable 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.
  • * 1769 , Oxford Standard text, , 144, xv,
    • Happy' is that people, that is in such a case: yea, ' happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
  • * 1777 , (Alexander Pope), An Essay on Man in Four Epistles: Argument of Epistle II'', in ''The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Esq , Volume III, page 26,
    • The learn'd is happy' nature to explore, / The fool is ' happy that he knows no more ;
    Music makes me feel happy .
  • Favored by luck or fortune; lucky.
  • * 1661 , (Robert Boyle), (The Sceptical Chymist) , 2006, Elibron Classics (imprint), page 227,
    • I may presume that what I have hitherto discoursed will induce you to think, that chymists have been much more happy in finding experiments than the causes of them; or in assigning the principles by which they may best be explained.
  • Dexterous; ready; apt; felicitous.
  • * 1761 , (Jonathan Swift), A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation'': Introduction, in ''The works of Dr Jonathan Swift , Volume VII, page 246,
    • For instance, one lady can give an an?wer better than a?k a que?tion : one gentleman is happy at a reply ; another excels in a rejoinder : one can revive a langui?hing conver?ation by a ?udden ?urpri?ing ?entence ;.
  • Content, satisfied (with or to do something); having no objection (to something).
    • Are you happy to pay me back by the end of the week?
    Are you happy with your internet service provider?
  • (As a suffix to a noun) favouring or inclined to use, as in trigger-happy.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=August 21 , author=Jason Heller , title=The Darkness: Hot Cakes (Music Review) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=“Baby, I was a loser / Several years on the dole / An Englishman with a very high voice / Doing rock ’n’ roll,” sings falsetto-happy frontman Justin Hawkins at the start of “Every Inch Of You,” Hot Cakes ’ opener.}}

    Usage notes

    * Said of expedients, efforts, ventures, omens, etc. * (experiencing the effect of favorable fortune) Said of people, hours, thoughts, times, etc.

    Synonyms

    * (favored by luck) lucky, fortunate, prosperous, cheerful, content, delighted, elated, exultant, orgasmic See

    Antonyms

    * sad * unhappy * unpleasant, displeasing, unenjoyable

    Derived terms

    * happify * happily * happiness * happy as a lark * happy as a pig in shit * happy as Larry * happy bunny * happy chappy * happy-clappy * happy families * happy family * happy-go-lucky * happy hour * happy slapping * happy talk * slap-happy * trigger-happy

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words

    hap

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) hap, . The verb is from (etyl) happen, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which happens; an occurrence or happening, especially an unexpected, random, chance, or fortuitous event; chance; fortune; luck.
  • * 1599 , (William Shakespeare), (Much Ado About Nothing) ,
    • URSULA. She's lim'd, I warrant you: we have caught her, madam.
    HERO. If it prove so, then loving goes by haps :
    Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.
  • * Spenser
    • whether art it was or heedless hap
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • Cursed be good haps', and cursed be they that build / Their hopes on ' haps .
  • * 1851 , :
    • He at once resolved to accompany me to that island, ship aboard the same vessel, get into the same watch, the same boat, the same mess with me, in short to share my every hap ; with both my hands in his, boldly dip into the Potluck of both worlds.
    Derived terms
    * hapful * haphazard * hapless * haply * happen * happenstance * happy * hapsome * mayhap * mishap * perhaps
    See also
    * what's the haps

    Verb

    (happ)
  • (literary) to happen; to befall; to chance.
  • *
  • (literary) To happen to.
  • *

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, Scotland, dialect) A wrap, such as a quilt or a comforter. Also, a small or folded blanket placed on the end of a bed to keep feet warm.

    • Verb

    (happ)
  • (dialect) To wrap or clothe.
  • * Dr. J. Brown
    • The surgeon happed her up carefully.
  • *

    • Anagrams

    * ----