Happened — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈha-pən/ hap·pen

Meaning & Definition of Happened

Happened (verb)

  1. to occur by chance —often used with it
  2. to come into being or occur as an event, process, or result
  3. to do, encounter, or attain something by or as if by chance
  4. to enter (a place) by chance
  5. to affect or involve (someone or something) as the result of an event or action; especially, to affect (someone or something) in a bad or harmful way

Happened (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to take place

    "did anything exciting happen over the summer?"

    similar: befell, betided, came, came about, came down, came off, chanced, cooked, did, happed, occurred, passed, transpired, was, went down (slang), went on, came to pass
    related: broke, developed, rose, shaped (up), arose, came up, cropped (up), materialized, sprang (up), intervened, fell out, followed, resulted, turned out, proceeded, went off

Related Entry: Happen (verb)

Happen is a different word from Happened. The synonyms below are for happen, not for happened.

  1. to take place

    "did anything exciting happen over the summer?"

    similar: be, befall, betide, chance, come, come about, come down, come off, cook, do, go down (slang), go on, hap, occur, pass, transpire, come to pass
    related: break, develop, rise, shape (up), arise, come up, crop (up), materialize, spring (up), intervene, fall out, follow, result, turn out, go off, proceed

Related Entry: Happen (on or upon) (verb)

Happen (on or upon) is a different word from Happened. The synonyms below are for happen (on or upon), not for happened.

  1. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "happened on the filming of a movie"

    similar: chance (upon), encounter, find, hit (upon), light (on or upon), meet, pitch (upon), stumble (on or onto), tumble (upon), bump into, come across, run across, run against, run into, run upon
    related: luck (out, on, onto, or into), confront, face, discover, strike, turn up

Related Entry: Happen (upon) (verb)

Happen (upon) is a different word from Happened. The synonyms below are for happen (upon), not for happened.

  1. to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face

    "happened upon the hotel manager in the lobby and promptly complained about the room"

    similar: catch, chance (upon), encounter, meet, stumble (upon), bump into, cross paths (with), run across, run into, run upon
    related: accost, confront, face, greet, salute, collide (with), crash (into), crisscross, cross, pass, hit (upon), light (upon), tumble (to), reencounter, remeet
    near: avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, evade, shake, shun

Related Entry: Happened (by) (verb)

Happened (by) is a different word from Happened. The synonyms below are for happened (by), not for happened.

  1. as in bopped (into)

    similar: bopped (into), looked up, saw, frequented, haunted, hung (at), resorted (to), barged (in), called, came by, came over, dropped by, dropped in, popped (in), ran (over), ran in, stepped in, stopped (by or in), visited

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Happened

The most common words with a similar meaning to Happened:

Slang: went down
befell, betided, came, came about, came down, came off, chanced, cooked, did, happed, occurred, passed, transpired, was, went on, came to pass

Related Words for Happened

broke, developed, rose, shaped (up), arose, came up, cropped (up), materialized, sprang (up), intervened, fell out, followed, resulted, turned out, proceeded, went off

Word Forms of Happened

Inflections: happening, happened into, happening into, happens into, happened to, happening to, happens to

Origin & Etymology of Happened

Middle English, from hap

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Happened

What does "Happened" mean?

"Happened" means to occur by chance —often used with it. As a verb, it is defined as: to occur by chance —often used with it.

What is another word for "Happened"?

Other words for "Happened" include befell, betided, came, came about, came down, came off, chanced and cooked. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Happened" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Happened"?

There are 33 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Happened". Common alternatives include befell, betided, came, came about, came down, came off, chanced, cooked, did and happed.

How do you use "Happened" in a sentence?

Examples of "Happened" in a sentence: "did anything exciting happen over the summer?".

Is "Happened" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Happened" is a verb.

How do you pronounce "Happened"?

"Happened" is pronounced /ˈha-pən/ and divided into syllables as hap·pen.

What is the origin of the word "Happened"?

"Happened" comes from Middle English, from hap. First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Happened" meaning "to take place"?

When "Happened" (verb) means to take place, synonyms include befell, betided, came, came about, came down and came off.