8 results for: happen

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

hap·pen

Audio Help [hap-uh

–verb (used without object)

1.	to take place; come to pass; occur: Something interesting is always happening in New York.

2.	to come to pass by chance; occur without apparent reason or design: Don't ask me what caused it—it just happened, that's all.

3.	to have the fortune or lot (to do or be as specified); chance: I happened to see him on the street.

4.	to befall, as to a person or thing: Something dreadful has happened to me.

5.	to meet or discover by chance (usually fol. by on or upon): to happen on a clue to a mystery.

6.	to be, come, go, etc., casually or by chance: My friend happened along.

7.	Slang. to be very exciting or interesting: That party was happening!

[Origin: 1300–50; ME hap(pe)nen. See hap¹, -en¹

]

—Synonyms 1. betide. Happen, chance, occur refer to the taking place of an event. Happen, which originally denoted the taking place by hap or chance, is now the most general word for coming to pass: Something has happened. Chance suggests the accidental nature of an event: It chanced to rain that day. Occur is often interchangeable with happen, but is more formal, and is usually more specific as to time and event: His death occurred the following year.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
happen

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

hap·pen Audio Help (hāp'ən) Pronunciation Key
intr.v. hap·pened, hap·pen·ing, hap·pens

1. To come to pass.
2. To come into being.
To take place or occur by chance.
To come upon something by chance.
To come or go casually; make an appearance.

[Middle English happenen, from hap, chance; see hap.]

Synonyms: These verbs mean to come about: saw an awful thing happen; predicted that misery will befall humankind; woe that betides the poor soldier; former friends who chanced to meet again; described the accident exactly as it occurred.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
happen

c.1300, happenen "to come to pass, occur," originally "occur by hap" (see hap); replaced O.E. gelimpan, gesceon, and M.E. befall. First record of happenstance is 1897, formed from happening + circumstance. Happening in the sense of "spontaneous event or display" is from 1959.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

happen
verb
1.	come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
2.	happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance; "It happens that today is my birthday"; "These things befell" (Santayana)
3.	chance to be or do something, without intention or causation; "I happen to have just what you need!"
4.	come into being; become reality; "Her dream really materialized" [ant: dematerialise]
5.	come upon, as if by accident; meet with; "We find this idea in Plato"; "I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here"; "She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day" [syn: find]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
happen1 [ˈhӕpən] verb

to take place or occur; to occur by chance
Example: What happened next?; It just so happens / As it happens, I have the key in my pocket.

Arabic:	يَحْدُث
Chinese (Simplified):	（偶然）发生
Chinese (Traditional):	(偶然)發生
Czech:	stát se; náhodou
Danish:	ske
Dutch:	(toevallig) gebeuren, plaatsvinden
Estonian:	juhtuma
Finnish:	tapahtua
French:	arriver
German:	geschehen
Greek:	συμβαίνω
Hungarian:	(meg)történik
Icelandic:	gerast, eiga sér stað; vera (það vill svo til{{TH}}.{{TH}}.{{TH}}.)
Indonesian:	terjadi
Italian:	succedere

Japanese:	起こる
Korean:	일어나다, 생기다
Latvian:	notikt; nejauši gadīties
Lithuanian:	įvykti, atsitikti
Norwegian:	skje, hende
Polish:	zdarzyć się
Portuguese (Brazil):	acontecer
Portuguese (Portugal):	acontecer
Romanian:	a se întâmpla
Russian:	случаться
Slovak:	stať sa náhodou
Slovenian:	zgoditi se
Spanish:	ocurrir, pasar, acontecer
Swedish:	hända, ske, falla sig
Turkish:	olmak

happen2 [ˈhӕpən] verb

(usually with to) to be done to (a person, thing etc)
Example: She's late — something must have happened to her.

Arabic:	يَحْدُثُ لِ
Chinese (Simplified):	发生
Chinese (Traditional):	發生
Czech:	přihodit se
Danish:	ske
Dutch:	gebeuren met of aan
Estonian:	juhtuma
Finnish:	tapahtua
French:	arriver à
German:	passieren
Greek:	συμβαίνω, τυχαίνω σε κπ.
Hungarian:	történik
Icelandic:	koma fyrir, henda
Indonesian:	terjadi
Italian:	succedere

Japanese:	起こる
Korean:	(…에게) 일어나다
Latvian:	notikt
Lithuanian:	atsitikti
Norwegian:	skje, inntreffe
Polish:	przydarzyć się
Portuguese (Brazil):	acontecer com
Portuguese (Portugal):	acontecer
Romanian:	a se întâmpla
Russian:	случаться
Slovak:	stať sa
Slovenian:	pripetiti se
Spanish:	pasarle, ocurrirle, acontecerle (a alguien, *algo)
Swedish:	hända, inträffa
Turkish:	başına gelmek

happen3 [ˈhӕpən] verb

to do or be by chance
Example: I happened to find him; He happens to be my friend.

Arabic:	يَحْدُثُ بالصُّدْفَه
Chinese (Simplified):	碰巧
Chinese (Traditional):	碰巧
Czech:	náhodou se stát, ukázat se
Danish:	tilfældigvis være
Dutch:	toevallig gebeuren, toevallig zijn van iets
Estonian:	juhtuma
Finnish:	sattua
French:	le hasard a voulu que, il se trouve que
German:	zufällig geschehen
Greek:	τυχαίνω
Hungarian:	véletlenül (tesz vmit), történetesen
Icelandic:	vilja til, rekast á
Indonesian:	kebetulan
Italian:	avere la fortuna di*

Japanese:	たまたま～する
Korean:	우연히 …하다
Latvian:	izrādīties, gadīties
Lithuanian:	atsitiktinai ką padaryti, *būti
Norwegian:	slumpe til å
Polish:	tak się składa, że; przypadkowo coś zrobić
Portuguese (Brazil):	acontecer de
Portuguese (Portugal):	acontecer
Romanian:	a se întâmpla
Russian:	случайно оказываться
Slovak:	náhodou nájsť, ukázať sa
Slovenian:	slučajno…
Spanish:	dar la casualidad; resultar que
Swedish:	råka
Turkish:	tesadüfen olmak

See also: happening, happen (up)on

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