happy as a lark
1
5.5
- idiom
- Informal
:
feliz como una lombriz
- The children were happy as a lark while playing in the sunshine at the park.
Parsons, this guy's a little older than me, throwing his keys up in the air, happy as a lark, right?
- Parsons, this guy's a little older than me, throwing his keys up in the air, happy as a lark, right?
Examples
-
Tonight, Allie bustled around in her kitchen later than usual doing something for that party, and happy, happy as a lark.
Fiction book (1995) -
I was happy as a lark when I came in here this morning.
-
- Oh, no, I'm as happy as a lark.
-
The little scientist is as happy as a lark.
Fiction book (1994) -
Parsons, this guy's a little older than me, throwing his keys up in the air, happy as a lark, right?
-
Suzy will be as happy as a lark.
-
Dr. Bettmann, a spare fellow of forty or so, is happy as a lark in the United States.
Fiction book (1999) -
Go to him and tell him you're as happy as a lark he's riding the Biscuit.
-
I was happy as a lark when I received the good news about my promotion.
-
She felt happy as a lark on her birthday, surrounded by friends and family.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Feeling pleased or happy about something
481
1.0
Bringing a good or lucky result
228
1.0
Feeling very happy about something good
171
2.3
Feeling very excited and happy
114
1.0
Happy and lively, full of fun and energy
111
1.0
Happy in a way you show with a smile or friendly actions
79
1.0
Happy and lively in a friendly way
70
1.0
Feeling or showing great happiness
69
4.5
Feeling very happy and excited
62
1.8
Feeling very happy and showing it
17
3.7
Feeling cheerful and not worried about serious things
13
4.9
Feeling very happy and excited because something good happened
12
1.2
Very happy and excited in a playful way
10
2.1
Feeling very happy and excited about something good
5
8.2
Very lively and full of energy
4
3.0
Feeling very happy and full of energy
2
4.1
Feeling very happy and excited
2
7.5
Feeling very happy and excited for no clear reason
1
6.3
Full of joy and laughter
1
9.9
Smiling brightly because you feel happy
1
8.2
Feeling very happy and content
1
9.0
Feeling happy and cheerful
Feeling very happy and excited
Very cheerful and bright like the spring sun
Feeling very pleased and full of joy
Very excited and happy in an obvious way
Feeling happy and cheerful
Antonyms
How Happy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression uses a straightforward simile pattern 'as ... as' comparing 'happy' to a 'lark,' and if a learner knows that a lark is a songbird associated with cheerfulness, the intensified meaning 'extremely happy' is directly inferable. This compositional comparison is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English comparison patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will likely understand it.
Etymology
Happy as a lark is a saying that comes from the bird lark, which sings loudly and flies high in the morning. People thought the bird looked very joyful, so the phrase came to mean 'very happy'.