happen

intransitive-verb
UK: /ˈhæpən/
US: /ˈhæpən/

  1. To take place or occur.

    1. What time will it happen? [ ] [ ]
    2. Accidents happen when you least expect them to. [ ] [ ]

  2. To occur by chance.

    1. It happened by accident, I swear! [ ] [ ]
    2. Sometimes good things happen to good people for no reason. [ ] [ ]

  3. To experience something.

    1. Bad things happen every day. [ ] [ ]
    2. I hope nothing bad will happen to you on your trip. [ ] [ ]

  4. To exist or be found.

    1. There happen to be two cakes. [ ] [ ]
    2. I happened to notice a small error in your calculations. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

occur chance transpire take place develop arise befall
happen adverb

  1. Used to emphasize a question or statement.

    1. What will happen to her? [ ] [ ]
    2. Whatever will happen if they win? [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "happen" in English means: To take place or occur., To occur by chance., To experience something., To exist or be found..

The phonetic transcription of "happen" is /ˈhæpən/ in British English and /ˈhæpən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "happen": occur, chance, transpire, take place, develop, arise, befall.

Example usage of "happen": "What time will it happen?". More examples on the page.