Synonyms for happen
ˈhæp ənhap·pen

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. happen

   A thing is said to happen when no design is manifest, or none especially thought of; it is said to chance when it appears to be the result of accident (compare synonyms for ACCIDENT). An incident happens or occurs; something external or actual happens to one; a thought or fancy occurs to him. Befall and betide are transitive; happen is intransitive; something befalls or betides a person or happens to him. Betide is especially used for anticipated evil, thought of as waiting and coming at its appointed time; as, wo betide him! One event supervenes upon another event, one disease upon another, etc. ["Transpire," in the sense of happen, is not authorized by good usage: a thing that has happened is properly said to transpire when it becomes known.]

   Synonyms:
   bechance, befall, betide, chance, come to pass, fall, fall out, occur, supervene, take place

   Preposition:
   An event happens to a person; a person happens on or upon a fact, discovery, etc.

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.0 / 2 votes

1. happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take placeverb

   come to pass

   "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"

   Synonyms:
   materialise, run, perish, elapse, go past, make pass, progress, top, put across, go by, draw, evanesce, continue, occur, pass off, slip by, materialize, breathe, excrete, turn over, go, spend, bechance, slide by, croak, emit, fade, hand, legislate, egest, exit, authorise, exceed, fleet, pass away, slip away, drop dead, overstep, transcend, make it, return, pop off, come out, authorize, devolve, cash in one's chips, kick the bucket, give, fall out, hap, march on, glide by, go on, chance, sink, eliminate, move on, lapse, come up, give-up the ghost, blow over, take place, lead, expire, overhaul, find, advance, go through, reach, communicate, come about, keep, choke, pass by, snuff it, overtake, bump, follow, extend, come on, carry on, die, fall, pass, proceed, encounter, clear, decease, conk, travel by, buy the farm, pass along, come, befall, go across, go along, surpass, guide, pass on

2. happen, befall, bechanceverb

   happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance

   "It happens that today is my birthday"; "These things befell" (Santayana)

   Synonyms:
   encounter, betide, materialise, fall out, bump, go on, occur, pass off, materialize, bechance, hap, chance, take place, befall, find, pass, come about

3. happenverb

   chance to be or do something, without intention or causation

   "I happen to have just what you need!"

   Synonyms:
   materialise, hap, go on, chance, pass off, materialize, take place, encounter, befall, occur, bump, fall out, find, pass, bechance, come about

4. happen, materialize, materialiseverb

   come into being; become reality

   "Her dream really materialized"

   Synonyms:
   encounter, materialise, fall out, bump, go on, occur, pass off, materialize, bechance, hap, chance, take place, befall, find, pass, come about

5. find, happen, chance, bump, encounterverb

   come upon, as if by accident; meet with

   "We find this idea in Plato"; "I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here"; "She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day"

   Synonyms:
   line up, detect, recover, kick downstairs, find oneself, befall, take chances, get, get hold, run across, gamble, demote, fall out, find, pass off, retrieve, hazard, knock, rule, notice, meet, chance, determine, see, find out, come about, come up, play, take a chance, encounter, materialize, go on, receive, feel, occur, risk, pass, incur, take place, come across, bechance, observe, run into, adventure, witness, dislodge, run a risk, ascertain, relegate, bump, take on, hap, break, regain, obtain, materialise, discover

Matched Categories

1. • Chance
   • Happen

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. happenverb

   Synonyms:
   chance, occur, befall, betide, come, take place, turn up, fall out, come to pass

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. happenverb

   Synonyms:
   occur, befall, betide, supervene, intervene

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "happen":

   occur, arrive, arise, be

How to pronounce happen?

How to say happen in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use happen in a sentence?

1. Julia Hallisy:

   You sound like a crazy person -- that your family member was held hostage in an American hospital, people can't believe that would happen. It's like the stuff of a science fiction story.

2. Sandeep Singh:

   We're thinking that something like this couldn't happen, even now, we feel that Sandeep Singh will come back.

3. Marie Brown:

   A typical non-adherent personality does not exist, the take home message for patients is to be sure to ask why they need the medicine and what will happen if they don’t take it.

4. Hamilton Mourão:

   You can not predict what would happen with this( virus) strain that is occurring in Manaus. Totally different from what had happened in the first half.

5. Sam Worthington:

   I think there is less understanding of the need to stay in it for the long run and to build the capacity of countries to ensure this doesn't happen in the future.