happy as a clam

adjective

Very happy and carefree.

Similar
happy as a clam at high waterhappy as a clam at high tidehappy
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Meanings

adjective(as) happy as a clam
  1. colloquialsimileVery happy and carefree.

    Marlene […] ran off into the parade ground happy as a clam, […].

    2000, Zadie Smith, White Teeth, London: Penguin Books, published 2001, →ISBN, page 363
    1 more example

    'Everyone comes down on me like a load of bricks. Then you walk in with a pretty girl on your arm looking as happy as a clam.'

    1954, Ian Fleming, “The Everglades”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 127

    Synonyms: happy as a clam at high water, happy as a clam at high tide, happy

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveVery happy and carefree.

Similar
happy as a clam at high waterhappy as a clam at high tidehappy
Also see
happyhappy as a clam at high tidehappy as a clam at high water

Origin

From happy as a clam at high water/happy as a clam at high tide (a clam at this time would be difficult to catch).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan més content que un gínjol
  • més content que un gínjolvery happy and carefree
Czech šťastný jako blecha
  • šťastný jako blechavery happy and carefree
Dutch zo gelukkig als een kind
  • zo gelukkig als een kindvery happy and carefree
Finnish iloinen kuin peipponen
  • iloinen kuin peipponenvery happy and carefree
French gai comme un pinson
  • gai comme un pinsonvery happy and carefree
Italian felice come una Pasqua
  • felice come una Pasquavery happy and carefree
Polish cały w skowronkach
  • cały w skowronkachvery happy and carefree
Portuguese mais feliz que pinto no lixo
  • mais feliz que pinto no lixovery happy and carefree
Romanian în culmea fericirii
  • în culmea fericiriivery happy and carefree
Scottish Gaelic cho sona ri bròg
  • cho sona ri brògvery happy and carefree
Spanish feliz como un regaliz, feliz como una perdiz
  • feliz como un regalizvery happy and carefree
  • feliz como una perdizvery happy and carefree
  • más contento que unas castañuelasvery happy and carefree
Swedish glad som en lärka
  • glad som en lärkavery happy and carefree
Vietnamese vui như tết
  • vui như tếtvery happy and carefree
Cite this entry
APA

happy as a clam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/happy%20as%20a%20clam

MLA

“happy as a clam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/happy%20as%20a%20clam. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “happy as a clam,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/happy%20as%20a%20clam.

Source: happy as a clam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.