Happy-go-lucky Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms happy-go-lucky American [hap-ee-goh-luhk-ee] / ˈhæp i goʊˈlʌk i /

adjective

1. trusting cheerfully to luck; happily unworried or unconcerned.

   Synonyms: insouciant, lighthearted, blithe, heedless, carefree

happy-go-lucky British

adjective

1. carefree or easy-going

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of happy-go-lucky

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Next to the happy-go-lucky Harry, William always came off as the earnest, somewhat colder older brother who seemed to march solemnly toward the inevitable fate of being burdened by the crown.

From The Wall Street Journal

“You not some happy-go-lucky kid anymore. You one grown man. You a father. No can be flighty, go off anywhere you like. You need for provide Clara with stability.”

From Literature

Stern like old school Mexicans always look in portraits but with joyful eyes that reveal his happy-go-lucky attitude to life.

From Los Angeles Times

Mazino describes Jesse as “a pretty happy-go-lucky guy” in the earlier episodes of the season, as well as “a bit of a Boy Scout.”

From Los Angeles Times

Pages is not as outwardly animated as Hernández, whose “happy-go-lucky” personality, as Bates described it, is evident every time he showers his teammates with sunflower seeds to celebrate home runs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• carefree
• cheerful
• easygoing

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.