delightful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- delightfully adverb
- delightfulness noun
- undelightful adjective
- undelightfully adverb
Etymology
Origin of delightful
Explanation
Anything delightful causes pleasure or joy. For most people, watching a puppy play is delightful. Delight is a strong positive emotion. We feel delight when something entertains or pleases us very much. Such things can be called delightful. After weeks of cold weather, a sunny day is delightful. Making a new friend is delightful. Going to see an exciting or hilarious movie is delightful. A good cup of coffee can be delightful. This word can apply to almost anything you enjoy a lot. People who find lots of things delightful are generally pretty happy.
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.
Then she shares a delightful, fact-based piece of trivia like, “Hey, did you know that rats giggle when you tickle them?”
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
"It just seems so whimsical and delightful to be able to do that."
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
She and the rest of the cast, which includes Tom Felton and Heather Graham, engage in a delightful dance in each fight scene, the camera chasing them down and shaking the foundations of the building.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The 20-minute film follows a duo who form an unlikely friendship and is a delightful meditation on the importance of connecting with another human being.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
She shrugged, and a delightful shrug it was.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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.
