I. ˈhapən, -p ə m verb
( happened -pənd, -p ə nd ; happened “ ; happening -p(ə)niŋ ; happens -pənz, -p ə mz)
Etymology: Middle English happenen, hapnen, from hap, happe, n., hap + -enen -en — more at hap
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to occur fortuitously, casually, or coincidentally : come about without previous design — often used with impersonal it
it happens the 500-mile auto race is in progress — Bruce Westley
as it happens, I have the book right here
b. : to come into existence spontaneously or as if spontaneously without causal necessity, effort, or other process
no success in life merely happens — Katharine F. Gerould
we were together and love happened — Galway Kinnell
2.
a. : to present itself as an event or process : become a reality : come into being : take place : occur
a study of what happens when we sleep
accidents are continually happening
cloudbursts do not happen … often — G.W.Murray
hurried to the scene … where the shooting happened — Current Biography
b.
(1) : to present itself as an experience or effect — used with to
creep is what happens to a hot metal when you pull it — R.P.Lister
all sorts of pleasant things happened to him
(2) : to present itself by way of injury or harm — used with to
the tickbirds … make sure that nothing happens to their rhino — Jule Mannix
I'd have something happen to me if I did — Rose Macaulay
3. : to have the luck or fortune
he happens to be a very rich man
forms of life which happen to be adjusted to their environment — W.R.Inge
I happened to hear it
4. : to chance to come : fall , light
while leafing through a journal … I happened across this passage — R.A.Hall b.1911
happened on a cottage almost hidden in elm tree boughs — Times Literary Supplement
happened upon a remarkable and neglected volume — Charlton Laird
5. : to come or go casually : make an appearance : turn up : drop in
he happened into the typists' room to borrow a stamp — Dorothy Sayers
hoping that no wayfarer would happen along the lane — Joseph Conrad
any person who might happen by was expected to … visit — American Guide Series: Texas
transitive verb
dialect : to become of : occur to : befall
little I mind what happens me — Augusta Gregory
what would happen my little business if I … married her — Frank O'Connor
Synonyms:
chance , occur , transpire , befall , betide : happen is a general term without special connotation and signifies to take place either with or without plan, motivation, or apparent or assignable cause. chance , perhaps somewhat archaic or literary in suggestion, stresses lack of plan or causation
a novel that chanced to be local and concrete and true — Sinclair Lewis
he chanced to sit banqueting with the mariners about the hour of tierce — G.G.Coulton
occur , often interchangeable with happen , has the additional meaning of be found, be met with, exist, may more strongly suggest an event which commands attention or consideration, and is more frequent than happen with negatives
a sluggish, smoke-colored animal, occurring in shallow swamp waters — L.P.Schultz
a bismuth bearing vein occurs on Charley Creek — Encyc. Americana
when once a certain detachment from possessive vice and objective ambition has occurred in the mind — J.C.Powys
this is possible in theory, but, actually, never seemed to occur — V.G.Heiser
transpire means to leak out and become known; by semantic change it has come to mean simply occur , although it is likely to be used of events of some importance
all memorable events … transpire in morning time and in a morning atmosphere — H.D.Thoreau
no clear-cut issue developed and no real contest transpired — E.E.Robinson
befall and betide , both rather literary, may suggest occurring because of destiny or fate and may be used especially with reference to unpleasant matters
a … piece of ill fortune, which about this time befell me — Charles Lamb
the fate which Beria meted out to so many should now have befallen him — Malcolm Muggeridge
woe betide a known traitor
II. adverb
now dialect : maybe , perhaps
and happen they'll tell him so too — Angus Wilson