Meanings
noun
- idiomaticA greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year. Happy birthday!
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
The earliest attributable use was by Lady Newdigate in a letter written in 1789 (and published in Newdigate-Newdegate Cheverels in 1898): Many happy returns of ye day to us my Dr Love.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish paljon onnea
- paljon onneagreeting for birthdays
Greek χρόνια πολλά
- χρόνια πολλά (chrónia pollá)greeting for birthdays
Hebrew עַד מְאָה וְעֵשְׂרִים
- עַד מְאָה וְעֵשְׂרִים ('ad meá v'esrím)greeting for birthdays
Hungarian Isten éltessen! (sokáig)
- Isten éltessen! (sokáig) (informal; the formal variant is with éltesse)greeting for birthdays
Latvian daudz baltu dieniņu
- daudz baltu dieniņugreeting for birthdays
Polish sto lat
- sto latgreeting for birthdays
Romanian mulți ani înainte
- mulți ani înaintegreeting for birthdays
Russian долгих лет жизни
- долгих лет жизни (dolgix let žizni)greeting for birthdays
Scottish Gaelic mòran dhiubh
- mòran dhiubhgreeting for birthdays
Cite this entry
APA
many happy returns. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/many%20happy%20returns
MLA
“many happy returns.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/many%20happy%20returns. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “many happy returns,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/many%20happy%20returns.
Source: many happy returns on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.