delight
Americannoun
-
delights
plural
-
a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture.
She takes great delight in her job.
- Synonyms:
- delectation, transport
- Antonyms:
- distress
-
something that gives great pleasure.
The dance was a delight to see.
- Antonyms:
- disappointment
verb (used with object)
-
delights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delighted,
past participle, past
-
delighting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
delights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
delighted,
past participle, past
-
delighting
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to please greatly
-
to take great pleasure (in)
noun
-
extreme pleasure or satisfaction; joy
-
something that causes this
music was always his delight
Synonym Usage
See pleasure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
delightsimple
-
delightssimple
-
have delightedperfect
-
has delightedperfect
-
am delightingprogressive
-
are delightingprogressive
-
is delightingprogressive
-
have been delightingperfect progressive
-
has been delightingperfect progressive
Past
-
delightedsimple
-
had delightedperfect
-
was delightingprogressive
-
were delightingprogressive
-
had been delightingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of delight
First recorded in 1175–1225; (verb) respelling, after light 1, of earlier delite, Middle English deliten, from Anglo-French deliter, Old French delitier, from Latin delectāre ( see delectable); (noun) respelling (as above) of Middle English delit, from Anglo-French, Old French, derivative of the verb
Explanation
When you like someone, you might say, "She is an absolute delight." You mean you think she's great: a delight is a source of joy, and to delight is to cause pleasure. Babies are particularly good at expressing delight in new things. Delight is often associated with an initial impression—one says, "She continues to delight us," to suggest that the first impression continues. The word delight derives from the Latin delectare "to charm," which also gives us delectable, and the same lighthearted sense of pure, uncomplicated pleasure.
Vocabulary lists containing delight
Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Enjoy! Synonyms for "Pleasure"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Auen and Walker delight in trickling real historical information — the result of painstaking research they both conducted studying the Chronovisor — through the film at a slow but steady, always compelling pace.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
His family members screamed with delight in the packed courtroom in Valletta, while Caruana Galizia's family wept, the agency said.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
If you loved—as I did—former federal prosecutor and congressman Trey Gowdy’s first mystery, “The Color of Death,” you’ll delight in the new installment, “The Sound of Regret.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
At one point, Livingston even jumped in herself, to the despair of security and the delight of fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
He paused in delight at the odd-placed landings, pounded on the crooked walls, and laughed aloud as the floor levels of the two old houses continued out of phase.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Her fall from perfection delights her brother and sister, who chant, “One of us!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Perry and her partner, Canada's former prime minister Justin Trudeau, sampled the delights of Mykonos.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Ms. Kavenna delights in dropping tantalizing clues that never build to clear conclusions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
For those very delights — oh, and the art too, yeah, sure — are why many people still want to go, a desire that watching “The Man Will Burn” will only strengthen.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.’
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Dinner tasted rich and savory and faintly sweet, the sort of thing I would have been delighted to order at a neighborhood restaurant.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
While Widdicombe added that it was "a little bit overwhelming" but he was "delighted" to be there.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
When I proposed to my then-girlfriend, I was delighted she said yes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Whenever he seems confused, I’m delighted; it’s reassuring to see someone so smart still struggle to fathom this thing of ours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Yes, Dr. Lopez,” Mrs. Malvolio replied, trying her best to sound delighted and cheerful and super-duper proud.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
A statement from Curry's representatives following his death said: "Across five decades, he moved fluidly between comedy, horror, drama, and music, delighting himself and his legion of fans with his countless dynamic personas."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Gen Z is pushing back against influencers, delighting in Obama-era signifiers like frozen yogurt and fighting off the “tradwife” trend.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Iran responded in the 64th minute with Rezaeian’s cross headed home by Mohammad Mohebi, tying the game and delighting fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
The era when delighting the public and media and driving endless free publicity for the AI revolution is over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
In the course of our conversation, Horchow did this over and again, delighting in tying together the loose ends of a lifetime.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
