happen

1. 1

   To occur or take place.intransitive

   • Let me tell you how it happened.
   • I hear there're fireworks happening tonight.
2. 2

   To happen to; to befall.archaictransitive

   • 'By my soul! I believe something bad has happened me,' he muttered, and popped up his window, and looked out, half dreaming over the church-yard on the park beyond […]
3. 3

   To do or occur by chance or unexpectedly.impersonalintransitivewith-infinitive

   • Take an umbrella in case it happens to rain.
   • Do you happen to have an umbrella?
4. 4

   To encounter by chance.

   • Unexpectedly, in a nook close by the farmhouse, he happened upon a spot where the vintage had actually commenced.
5. 5

   To become popular or trendy.informal

syn. bechance · befall · behap · belimp · betide · betime · beworth · chance · come about · come to pass · crop up · evene

1. 1

   maybe, perhaps.dialectalnot-comparableobsolete

   • Yeah, well happen if he'd gone quietly, she wouldn't have needed to show him who's in charge.