enjoy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
enjoys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enjoyed,
past participle, past
-
enjoying
present participle
-
to experience with joy; take pleasure in.
He enjoys Chinese food.
- Synonyms:
- savor, relish, fancy, appreciate
-
to have and use with satisfaction; have the benefit of.
He enjoys an excellent income from his trust funds.
-
to find or experience pleasure for (oneself ).
She seems to enjoy herself at everything she does.
-
to undergo (an improvement).
Automobile manufacturers have enjoyed a six-percent rise in sales over the past month.
-
to have intercourse with.
verb
-
to receive pleasure from; take joy in
-
to have the benefit of; use with satisfaction
-
to have as a condition; experience
the land enjoyed a summer of rain
-
archaic to have sexual intercourse with
-
to have a good time
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
enjoyablenessnoun
-
enjoyernoun
-
preenjoyverb (used with object)
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reenjoyverb (used with object)
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enjoyableadjective
-
unenjoyedadjective
-
unenjoyingadjective
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enjoyablyadverb
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enjoyinglyadverb
-
unenjoyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
enjoysimple
-
enjoyssimple
-
have enjoyedperfect
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has enjoyedperfect
-
am enjoyingprogressive
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are enjoyingprogressive
-
is enjoyingprogressive
-
have been enjoyingperfect progressive
-
has been enjoyingperfect progressive
Past
-
enjoyedsimple
-
had enjoyedperfect
-
was enjoyingprogressive
-
were enjoyingprogressive
-
had been enjoyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enjoy
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enjoyen “to make joyful,” from Old French enjoier “to give joy to”; see en- 1 ( def. ), joy ( def. )
Explanation
To enjoy something is to take delight or pleasure in something: to have fun doing it. Whatever you like or love, you enjoy. Saying you enjoy something is a major compliment: it means you like it, and it makes you happy. Some people enjoy sports; others enjoy music. TV, movies, books, video games, sunny days, pets, and exercise are enjoyed by many people. Different people enjoy different things. We can also talk about enjoying as a type of advantage. A tall boxer enjoys an advantage because he has a longer reach than a short boxer.
Vocabulary lists containing enjoy
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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:
Some contenders for CEO jobs have been asked to answer obscure questions on psychological tests, such as: “I enjoy staring at rivers for long periods of time,” executives say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
But French teachers, many of whom say they are passionate about their job, do enjoy long vacation periods.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
If your health deteriorates, claiming earlier means you will enjoy your benefits now.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
"I am grateful to them for believing in this idea and for protecting this building and two centuries' worth of stories for people to enjoy forever."
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
They would enjoy the wealth of its waters till the rains subsided.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Looking at models like the one Dell enjoys provides a useful way to game out a potential collapse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
She has never been able to return to work, though she volunteers with NI Chest Heart and Stroke and enjoys sewing.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Did he say anything truly new at this fundraiser, like that he thinks James Talarico is a pretty good guy or that he enjoys wearing dresses when mowing the lawn?
From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2026
Those events could prompt the committee to this year choose a laureate who enjoys broad consensus, such as an individual or organisation working to protect children or humanitarian efforts.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
"It's not a culture. People have to decide what they think for themselves. If Ma enjoys it, let her go in peace. She'll figure it out."
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have struggled to get close to the success they enjoyed under the 26-year reign of the legendary Scot.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Bond prices worldwide have enjoyed a nice bounce and old-school dividend paying stocks have too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Epstein compared it to a Tibetan sand mandala, created, enjoyed, then wiped away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Seoul and Tokyo enjoyed healthy gains in early exchanges, with chipmakers SK hynix and Kioxia among the best performers -- having been pummelled Thursday as investors bailed out of the once-dominant AI sector.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Before that happened, the Wall Street firm enjoyed a perverse monopoly.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
“Nashville is just a different way. I’m enjoying it.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Chicago-born Leo, the first US pope, is believed to generally be in good health, enjoying sports, especially playing tennis.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
This is nothing new for Hartnett, who’s spent the last few years enjoying a well-deserved career renaissance, following up his role in “Verity” with a starring role in Netflix‘s supernatural thriller miniseries, “Below.”
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Are you an American who’s enjoying the spectacle of the very Gallic rioting in France?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
A part of him—indeed, a large part—was enjoying this charade, this moment wherein he plunged headfirst into this caricature the humans had created.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
