Another Word for Happy: 17 Synonyms with Examples
“Happy” covers everything from mild contentment to great joy, and also means willing. Picking the exact strength makes writing more vivid.
As an adjective: feeling pleasure or contentment
- cheerful
- content
- glad
- pleased
- delighted
- joyful
- thrilled
- elated
- overjoyed
As an adjective: willing
- glad
- willing
- pleased
- ready
- keen
As an adjective: lucky or fortunate
- fortunate
- lucky
- favourable
- timely
- opportune
Need a different word?Look up any word in the synonym finder →
How they differ
Synonyms share a meaning, not always a tone. Here is when to pick each of the main options.
- content
- Quietly satisfied; less intense than happy.
- pleased
- Happy about something specific; polite and measured.
- delighted
- Very pleased; common in formal letters and emails.
- joyful
- Full of joy; often of events, music or celebrations.
- elated
- Extremely happy and excited, often after a success.
Example sentences
- content: He seemed content with a quiet life in the country.
- pleased: I'm pleased with how the photos turned out.
- delighted: We are delighted to offer you the position.
- joyful: The wedding was a joyful occasion.
- elated: She was elated when her novel was accepted.
Opposite of happy
- sad
- unhappy
- miserable
- unwilling
More from WordNet
Less common or more specialised words WordNet lists for other senses of “happy”. Check the meaning before you use one.
adjective: felicitous
WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Used under the WordNet licence.
Frequently asked questions
What is another word for “happy”?
The most useful alternatives are “cheerful”, “content”, “glad”, “pleased”, “delighted”. For the main sense (feeling pleasure or contentment), “cheerful” is usually the closest swap.
What is the difference between “content” and “pleased”?
content: Quietly satisfied; less intense than happy. pleased: Happy about something specific; polite and measured.
What is the opposite of “happy”?
Common antonyms are “sad”, “unhappy”, “miserable”, “unwilling”.