happen

verb

(intransitive) To occur or take place.

(intransitive or impersonal, with infinitive) To do or occur by chance or unexpectedly.

(followed by on or upon) To encounter by chance.

(informal) To become popular or trendy.

(transitive, archaic) To happen to; to befall.

adverb

(obsolete or dialect) maybe, perhaps.

Roots

happhapp- · Old Norse · chance, luck

Synonyms for happen

occurv bechancev befallv materializev eventuatev hapn betidev transpirev encountern comev chancen

Synonyms & related words for happen

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of happen — including occur, bechance, befall, materialize, eventuate, hap. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to happen

Explore words related to happen — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include reoccur, supervene, befell, supervention, befallen, arise, ensue, subvene. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for happen

Common synonyms for happen include occur, bechance, befall, materialize, eventuate, hap, betide, transpire — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does happen come from?

The word happen breaks down into one root of Old Norse origin: the root happ-, from Old Norse happ (“chance, luck”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.