Happen

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive), Adverb
• HYPHEN: hap=pen

CIDE DICTIONARY

Happen, v. i. [OE. happenen, hapnen. See Hap to happen.].

•  To come by chance; to come without previous expectation; to fall out.  [1913 Webster]

  "There shall no evil happen to the just."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take place; to occur.  [1913 Webster]

  "All these things which had happened."  [1913 Webster]

To happen on, to meet with; to fall or light upon. “I have happened on some other accounts.” Graunt. -- To happen in, to make a casual call. [Colloq.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Happen, v. & adv.
--v.intr.
1 occur (by chance or otherwise).
2 (foll. by to + infin.) have the (good or bad) fortune to (I happened to meet her).
3 (foll. by to) be the (esp. unwelcome) fate or experience of (what happened to you?; I hope nothing happens to them).
4 (foll. by on) encounter or discover by chance.
--adv. N.Engl. dial. perhaps, maybe (happen it'll rain).

Idiom

as it happens in fact; in reality (as it happens, it turned out well).

Etymology

ME f. HAP + -EN(1)

THESAURUS

Happen

be found, be met with, be realized, bechance, become of, befall, betide, break, bump, chance, come, come about, come along, come down, come off, come to pass, come true, come upon, cook, develop, do, encounter, eventuate, fall, fall out, find, give, go, go off, go on, hap, happen along, happen by chance, hazard, hit, light, luck, materialize, meet, meet with, occur, pass, pass off, pop up, prove, rise, stumble, stumble on, stumble upon, take place, transpire, tumble, turn out, turn up

ROGET THESAURUS

Happen

Eventuality

VB happen, occur, take place, take effect, come, become of, come off, comeabout, come round, come into existence, come forth, come to pass, come on, pass, present itself, fall, fall out, turn out, run, be on foot, fall in, befall, betide, bechance, prove, eventuate, draw on, turn up, crop up, spring up, pop up, arise, show up, show its face, appear, come forth, cast up, supervene, survene, issue, arrive, ensue, arise, start, hold, take its course, pass off, meet with, experience, enjoy, encounter, undergo, suffer, pass through, go through, be subjected to, be exposed to, fall to the lot of, be one's chance, be one's fortune, be one's lot, find, endure.

N eventuality, event, occurrence, incident, affair, matter, thing, episode, happening, proceeding, contingency, juncture, experience, fact, matter of fact, naked fact, bare facts, just the facts, phenomenon, advent, business, concern, transaction, dealing, proceeding, circumstance, particular, casualty, accident, adventure, passage, crisis, pass, emergency, contingency, consequence, opportunity (occasion), the world, life, things, doings, affairs in general, things in general, affairs in general, the times, state of affairs, order of the day, course of things, tide of things, stream of things, current of things, run of things, march of things, course of events, ups and downs of life, vicissitudes of life, chapter of accidents, situation, happening, going on, doing, current, in the wind, in the air, afloat, on foot, afoot, on the tapis, at issue, in question, incidental, eventful, stirring, bustling, full of incident, memorable, momentous, signal, eventually, in the event of, in case, just in case, in the course of things, as things, times go, as the world goes, wags, as the tree falls, cat jumps, as it may turn out, happen, that's the way the ball bounces, that's the way the cookie crumbles, you never know what may turn up, you never know what the future will bring, the plot thickens, breasts the blows of circumstance, so runs round of life from hour to hour, sprinkled along the waste of years.

Destiny

N destiny, future existence, post existence, hereafter, future state, next world, world to come, after life, futurity, everlasting life, everlasting death, life beyond the grave, world beyond the grave, prospect, impending, destined, about to be, happen, coming, in store, to come, going to happen, instant, at hand, near, near, close at hand, over hanging, hanging over one's head, imminent, brewing, preparing, forthcoming, int he wind, on the cards, in reserve, that will, is to be, in prospect, looming in the distance, horizon, future, unborn, in embryo, int he womb of time, futurity, pregnant, in time, the long run, all in good time, eventually, whatever may happen, as chance would have it.