happen
634
place and have an effect on: I wonder what's happened to
Jane – she's two hours late. | Whatever happened to that singer
you used to like so much?
happen² adv NengE perhaps
hap.pen.ing /ˈhæpənɪŋ/ n 1 something that happens; an
event 2 (especially in the 1960s and early 1970s) an unpre-
pared performance or other event that catches attention
hap.pi.ly /ˈhæpɪli/ adv 1 in a happy manner: laughing
happily 2 fortunately: Happily, the accident was not serious.
hap.pi.ness /ˈhæpinəs/ n [U] the state of being happy
hap.py /ˈhæpi/ adj 1 a) feeling or showing pleasure and
contentment: a happy child/smile | The news made us all
very happy. | [F+(that)/to-v] I'm so happy that you could come. |
You'll be happy to know that she's just had a baby girl. b)
causing pleasure and contentment: a happy marriage | one of
the happiest days of my life $\rightarrow$ opposite UNHAPPY 2 [F(about,
with)] feeling that something is right or good; satisfied: The
government won't be very happy about the latest unemploy-
ment statistics. | Are you happy with his work? 3 [A] (of
events) fortunate: By a happy coincidence we were all booked
in the same hotel. 4 fml or lit (of behaviour, thoughts etc)
suitable; FELICITOUS: His choice of words was not a happy
one. 5 [F+to-v; no comp.] willing; glad; not finding it difficult
(to): I'll be happy to meet him when I have some free
time. 6 [A no comp.] (used in wishes about events or occasions)
full of pleasure and success (especially in phrases like Happy
New Year, Happy Birthday): Happy Anniversary! | Happy
Christmas! $\rightarrow$ see also SLAPHAPPY, TRIGGER-HAPPY 7 happy
as a lark also happy as a clam AmE —very happy about a
situation or what you are doing: Brooks works in his garden
all day, happy as a clam. | I'm as happy as a lark, as long as
I've got paints and canvas to work with.
happy-clap.py /ˌhæpi ˈklæpi/ adj BrE infml derog relating to a
Christian church, especially the Evangelical church, where
people sing, shout, show their emotions, and encourage
other people to join in: happy-clappy Christians —happy
clappy n [C]
ˌHappy ˈDays a humorous US television programme, first
shown in the 1970s and still very popular, about a group of
TEENAGERS in the 1950s who meet at Al's Diner. The charac-
ters include Richie Cunningham and his sister Joanie, and
Arthur Fonzarelli, known as the Fonz, who wears a black
leather jacket and is always very ‘cool’ (=fashionable, confi-
dent, and relaxed).
ˌHappy ˈDays are ˌHere Aˈgain a song that was popular
in the 1930s. People sometimes say ‘happy days are here
again’ when a bad situation has ended and things are
getting better again.
ˌHappy ˈEater trademark a chain of restaurants that are near to
some main roads and MOTORWAYS in Britain $\rightarrow$ compare
LITTLE CHEF
ˌhappy eˈvent n BrE the birth of a child
ˌhappy-go-ˈlucky adj usually not derog (of people or their behav-
iour) showing a lack of careful thought or planning; tending
not to worry; CAREFREE
ˈhappy ˌhour n infml a limited period in a day when alcoholic
drinks are sold at lower than the usual prices in a bar, PUB etc
ˌhappy ˈmedium n [C usually sing.] a way of doing something
that is halfway between two opposite ways that are possible;
COMPROMISE: We try to strike a happy medium between
working too hard and not working at all.
Haps.burg /ˈhæpsbɜːɡ||-bɜːrɡ/ the name of an important
European royal family, known especially for ruling in Aus-
tria from 1278 to 1918 and in Spain from 1516 to 1700. The
German spelling of the name is Habsburg. —Hapsburg adj
har.a-kir.i /ˌhærə ˈkɪri/ n [U] a way of ceremonially killing
oneself by cutting open the stomach, formerly used in Japan
by male members of the Samurai class
ha.rangue¹ /həˈræŋ/ n a loud or long speech, especially one
which blames those listening to it or tries to persuade them:
The minister of propaganda delivered his usual harangue.
harangue² v [T] to attack or try to persuade with a long
often loud and attacking speech: The teacher harangued us
all about our untidy work. | I didn't come here to be
harangued!
Ha.ra.re /həˈrɑːri/ the capital city of Zimbabwe, formerly
called Salisbury
har.ass /ˈhærəs, həˈræs ||həˈræs, ˈhærəs/ v [T] 1 to make
(someone) worried and unhappy by causing trouble, espe-
cially on repeated occasions: a busy, harassed housewife | I
feel rather harassed by all the pressures at the office. 2 to
cause problems for by making repeated attacks against: Our
soldiers harassed the enemy. —ment n [U] a campaign
against harassment of immigrants by the police $\rightarrow$ see also
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
har.bin.ger /ˈhɑːbɪndʒəʳ ||ˈhɑːr-/ n [(of)] lit a person or thing
showing that something is going to happen or is on its way:
Daffodils are a harbinger of spring. $\rightarrow$ compare HERALD
har.bour¹ BrE || harbor AmE /ˈhɑːbəʳ ||ˈhɑːr-/ n [C;U] an area
of water by a coast which is sheltered from rougher waters
so that ships are safe inside it
harbour² BrE || harbor AmE – v [T] 1 to give protection,
especially by giving food and shelter, to (something or
someone bad) either on purpose or without knowing: Har-
bouring criminals is an offence in law. 2 to keep in the mind
(thoughts or feelings, especially when bad): He harbours a
secret grudge against his father.
ˈharbour ˌmaster n the official who is in charge of a
harbour
hard¹ /hɑːd||hɑːrd/ adj 1 firm and stiff; difficult or impossi-
ble to break, press down, or bend: The snow has frozen
hard. | The plate smashed as it fell on the hard floor. | This ice
cream is as hard as rock. $\rightarrow$ opposite SOFT 2 difficult to do
or understand: There were some hard questions on the exam
paper. | [+to-v] It's hard to know what he's really thinking. | He
is a hard person to understand. $\rightarrow$ opposite EASY 3 a) using
force: I gave it a hard push/a hard kick. b) needing force or
effort of body or mind: hard work | (fig.) We must take a long
hard look at this plan. (=examine it very carefully) 4 [A]
putting great effort into the stated activity; DILIGENT: She's a
hard worker. (=She works hard.) | John's a hard drinker.
(=drinks a lot of alcohol) 5 full of difficulty and trouble; not
pleasant: a hard life | The police gave me a hard time.
(=hurt, annoyed, or threatened me) 6 [(on)] (of people,
punishments etc) not gentle; showing no kindness; severe:
You're a hard woman. | Don't be too hard on them. | I'm afraid
I said some very hard things to her. | She drives a hard
bargain. (=makes agreements to her own advantage but not
necessarily to anyone else's) 7 (of seasons and weather) very
cold; severe: a hard winter | a hard frost $\rightarrow$ opposite
MILD 8 not tech (in English pronunciation) a) (of the letter c)
pronounced as /k/ rather than /s/ b) (of the letter g) pro-
nounced as /ɡ/ rather than /dʒ/: The letter ‘g’ is hard in ‘get’
and soft in ‘gentle’. 9 (of water) containing minerals that
prevent soap from mixing properly with the water $\rightarrow$ oppo-
site SOFT 10 [A] (of a drug) considered dangerous and/or
ADDICTIVE to users $\rightarrow$ opposite SOFT 11 [A] based on what is
clearly true or can be proved: The police have several theories
about the case, but no hard evidence. | Can linguistics ever be
a hard science like physics? 12 be hard on to wear (some-
thing) out easily or quickly: Children are very hard on their
shoes. 13 do something the hard way to learn by difficult
experience, not by being taught 14 take (some/a few) hard
knocks to have painful experiences, bad luck, difficulties etc
$\rightarrow$ see also HARDLY, HARDEN (USAGE) —hardness n [U]
hard² adv 1 using great and steady effort; in a STRENUOUS
way: I tried so hard to please her. | You've been working much
too hard. | I thought long and hard about the problem. | Listen
hard and you might just hear it. | a hard-fought election
campaign 2 strongly; heavily; in large amounts over a
period of time: It's raining harder than ever. 3 be hard done
by to be unfairly treated: I felt very hard done by when I got
less money than anybody else, after I had worked twice as
hard. 4 be hard hit (by) to suffer loss because of (some
event): The farmers were hard hit by the bad weather. 5 be
hard put (to it) to have great difficulty (in doing some-
thing): We were hard put to find a replacement for our assist-
ant. 6 (it) go(es) hard with someone to be (an experience
that is) difficult for someone to accept: It goes hard with him
to be alone so often. 7 hard at it working with all one's force
in some activity; working as hard as one can: I'm glad to see
you're still hard at it! 8 hard on the heels of close behind,
very soon after: War came hard on the heels of the economic