{
    "term": "happen",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "happen",
            "heSheIt": "happens"
        },
        "pastSimple": "happened",
        "pastParticiple": "happened",
        "ingForm": "happening"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to take place, especially without being planned",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You'll never guess what's happened!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Accidents** like this **happen** all the time."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The most recent **incident happened** only a week ago."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The government has denied that the **events** ever **happened**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Change doesn't happen overnight."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You have to make **things happen**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let's see what happens next week."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'll be there **whatever happens**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**No matter what happens**, he's going to pay for what he's done."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Is this really happening or is it a dream?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This would never happen in real life."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't know how this happened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I try to keep up with **what is happening in the world**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't remember learning to swim, it just happened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Mistakes are bound to happen sometimes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She couldn't quite believe that all this was actually happening to her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sometimes fun activities just happen spontaneously; at other times they take careful planning."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You have to make things happen if you want them to happen."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["actually", "really", "just"],
                "verb + happen": ["be going to", "be likely to", "be bound to"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to take place as the result of something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She pressed the button but **nothing happened**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**What happens if** nobody comes to the party?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Just plug it in and **see what happens**."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["actually", "really", "just"],
                "verb + happen": ["be going to", "be likely to", "be bound to"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to do or be something by chance",
            "sensetop": "happen to be/do somethingit happens that…",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She happened to be out when we called."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You don't happen to know his name, do you?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This happens to be my favourite restaurant."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The door happened to be unlocked."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It happened that she was out when we called.",
                    "contextForm": "it happens that…"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "used to tell somebody something, especially when you are disagreeing with them or annoyed by what they have said",
            "sensetop": "happen to be/do something",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "That happens to be my mother you're talking about!"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a thing or person that is very likely to cause danger or a problem in the future because of the condition it is in or the way they behave",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Any one of these nuclear plants may be a disaster waiting to happen."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Danger"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "people say accidents will happen to tell somebody who has had an accident, for example breaking something, that it does not matter and they should not worry",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that it is not possible to know what the result of something will be",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used when you say something that is surprising, or something connected with what somebody else has just said",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I agree with you, as it happens."
                },
                {
                    "text": "As it happens, I have a spare set of keys in my office."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "if something happens",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "In the event of an accident, call this number."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sheila will inherit everything in the event of his death."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the unlikely event of a crash, please remain calm."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "by chance",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It just so happened they'd been invited too."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to express the idea that we must accept that bad things often happen without reason",
            "labels": "(taboo, slang)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to tell somebody not to worry about something they have done",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘Sorry—I've broken a glass.’ ‘Never mind. These things happen.’"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpən/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happen__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpənz/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happens__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpənd/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happened__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpənɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happening__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpən/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happen__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpənz/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happens__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpənd/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happened__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhæpənɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ha/happen/happening__us_1_rr.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (superseding the verb hap): from the noun hap ‘chance’ + -en."
}