delight

[ dih-lahyt ]

noun

1. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture:

   She takes great delight in her job.

   Synonyms: delectation, transport

   Antonyms: distress

2. something that gives great pleasure:

   The dance was a delight to see.

   Antonyms: disappointment

verb (used with object)

1. to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; please highly:

   The show delighted everyone.

   Synonyms: enrapture, charm

verb (used without object)

1. to have great pleasure; take pleasure (followed by in or an infinitive):

   She delights in going for long walks in the country.

delight

/ dɪˈlaɪt /

verb

1. tr to please greatly
2. intrfoll byin to take great pleasure (in)

noun

1. extreme pleasure or satisfaction; joy
2. something that causes this

   music was always his delight

Derived Forms

• deˈlighter, noun

Other Words From

• de·lighter noun
• de·lighting·ly adverb
• de·lightless adjective
• self-de·light noun
• unde·lighting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of delight¹

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 ( delectable ); (noun) respelling (as above) of Middle English delit, from Anglo-French, Old French, derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of delight¹

C13: from Old French delit, from deleitier to please, from Latin dēlectāre, from dēlicere to allure, from de- + lacere to entice; see delicious ; English spelling influenced by light

Synonym Study

See pleasure.

Example Sentences

Loaded with fast-drying archival ink, the Sakura’s Pigma Micron fineliners are simply a delight to work with.

From Popular-Science

As the biggest snowstorm in the region in two years, it brought delight to snow lovers and proved not to be a huge inconvenience.

From Washington Post

To me, love for food should be about the appreciation of subtlety, not a delight in savagery.

From Washington Post

Particularly during the colder months, I love employing this method to turn tough cuts of meat into silken morsels of pure delight.

From Washington Post

Despite that it leans a bit toward wordiness and could have used maybe one less caper, “The Big Tow” is a true delight – but not for the reasons you might think.

From Washington Blade

His surprise marriage to theater director Sophie Hunter may have broken hearts, but the squeals of delight were even louder.

From The Daily Beast

Then they sat down at the dinner table and ate with delight.

From The Daily Beast

One gets the impression that God would take great delight in letting them go.

From The Daily Beast

But I also want jazz to be loved and enjoyed, to serve as a source of enchantment and delight.

From The Daily Beast

Our brains and bodies delight in the sweet stuff, in the same way we might respond to a drug, causing us to want more and more.

From The Daily Beast

He held it, but it was without pressure; without recognizance of the delight with which he once grasped it.

From Project Gutenberg

Terror drives you on; fate coerces you; you can't help yourself, and my delight is to make the plunge terrible.

From Project Gutenberg

Louis listened with pleasure, and dwelt with delight on the interesting Princess and her son.

From Project Gutenberg

It was her delight to mingle politics and chivalric devotion, in their long conferences.

From Project Gutenberg

The morning we started was one of those perfect autumnal days when it is a delight simply to live.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• contentment
• glee
• joy
• pleasure
• satisfaction