happening

[ hap-uh-ning ]

noun

1. something that happens; occurrence; event.

   Synonyms: case, affair, instance, episode, incident

2. an unconventional dramatic or artistically orchestrated performance, often a series of discontinuous events involving audience participation.
3. any event considered worthwhile, unusual, or interesting.

happening

/ ˈhæpənɪŋ; ˈhæpnɪŋ /

noun

1. an occurrence; event
2. an improvised or spontaneous display or performance consisting of bizarre and haphazard events

adjective

1. informal.
   fashionable and up-to-the-minute

Word History and Origins

Origin of happening¹

First recorded in 1545–55; 1965–70 happening fordef 2; happen + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Sinkholes can be formed by gradual dissolution happening underground, but they can also be caused by heavy rain or surface flooding, construction work, leaking drainage pipes, burst water mains and groundwater abstraction, the BGS said.

From BBC

But what was happening psychologically between Lee and Allerton was something I had total access to through the sharpness of Burroughs' writing.

From Salon

"It was very scary, you could hear it rumbling and collapsing when it was happening," he said.

From BBC

One arm of the survey encompassed 1,310 adults demographically representative of the U.S. population, focusing on people who believed that climate change is happening.

From Salon

The governor’s shuffle, in Madrid’s view, personifies a reckoning happening within a Democratic Party focused on identity politics in 2024 without realizing that Trump was winning over voters on economic issues.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accident
• adventure
• circumstance
• incident
• milestone
• phenomenon
• proceeding