enjoy

American  

[en-joi] / ɛnˈdʒɔɪ /

verb (used with object)

• enjoys,
  present (3rd person singular)
• enjoyed,
  past participle,  past
• enjoying
  present participle

1. to experience with joy; take pleasure in.

   He enjoys Chinese food.

   Synonyms:

   savor, relish, fancy, appreciate

2. to have and use with satisfaction; have the benefit of.

   He enjoys an excellent income from his trust funds.

   Synonyms:

   own, possess

3. to find or experience pleasure for (oneself ).

   She seems to enjoy herself at everything she does.

4. to undergo (an improvement).

   Automobile manufacturers have enjoyed a six-percent rise in sales over the past month.

5. to have intercourse with.

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enjoy British  

/ ɪnˈdʒɔɪ /

verb

1. to receive pleasure from; take joy in

2. to have the benefit of; use with satisfaction

3. to have as a condition; experience

   the land enjoyed a summer of rain

4. archaic to have sexual intercourse with

5. to have a good time

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• enjoyableness
  noun
• enjoyer
  noun
• preenjoy
  verb (used with object)
• reenjoy
  verb (used with object)
• enjoyable
  adjective
• unenjoyed
  adjective
• unenjoying
  adjective
• enjoyably
  adverb
• enjoyingly
  adverb
• unenjoyingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• enjoying
  present
• enjoyed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• enjoy
  simple
• enjoys
  simple
• have enjoyed
  perfect
• has enjoyed
  perfect
• am enjoying
  progressive
• are enjoying
  progressive
• is enjoying
  progressive
• have been enjoying
  perfect progressive
• has been enjoying
  perfect progressive

Past

• enjoyed
  simple
• had enjoyed
  perfect
• was enjoying
  progressive
• were enjoying
  progressive
• had been enjoying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will enjoy
  simple
• will have enjoyed
  perfect
• will be enjoying
  progressive
• will have been enjoying
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

enjoy enjoys enjoyed enjoying

What Gen and Casey want is to enjoy these things for the personal thrills they offer.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

Her daughters have both gone on to enjoy success on screen.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Everyone’s standing outside to enjoy the sunshine while it’s there, together.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

As much as they enjoy betting on reality TV and Taylor Swift’s wedding, they also want help in saving, spending and investing their money.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

And then he heard the cries: "Victory, victory! Get up, Sir Governor. Come enjoy our victory. Let's go divide the booty."

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

Analysts say Kim now enjoys greater global stature, buoyed by crucial backing from Russia and China as well as an improving economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Pint-holding crowds standing outside “adds to the buzz of the area,” said George O’Mahoney, 27, who regularly enjoys an after-work pint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Val Ripley may be 101 but she still enjoys playing with dolls' houses.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The veteran linebacker is likely playing in his final NFL season, but he still enjoys leading by example and being an elder statesman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Plans that involve digestive juices—but I think it likes to be hungry. It enjoys the pursuit as much as the devouring. That’s its weakness.”

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Ancient in origin, it can be mixed with spirits or enjoyed on its own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Gemini 2.5 Pro, released in March 2025, and Gemini 3.0 Pro, released in November 2025, enjoyed brief stints at the frontier until Anthropic’s Claude models usurped them, Schwarz said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Count Binface has enjoyed his best-ever election performance after receiving almost 10,000 votes and finishing second to Nigel Farage at the Clacton by-election.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

For every actor, musician, writer and artist who has become a wealthy and enduring celebrity, exponentially more of them have enjoyed a brief, shining moment, never to be heard of again.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Klavdiya enjoyed this rare treat, and she went to bed hoping for a good night’s sleep, too.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

The U.S. manufacturing sector is enjoying the fruits of the AI boom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Indeed, old photos show a room with seating for all, with sharply dressed riders reading newspapers and enjoying casual conversation rather than standing in a sweaty mob and cursing their travel agents.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Until then, Promise's goat will continue enjoying special status at the student halls where he roams freely and even has some human-like habits.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Val Moreno looks like he’s enjoying every minute while volunteering to hold the down marker at Servite High home football games as part of the Friars’ chain crew.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

I have absolutely no chance of enjoying any of them.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• boast
• experience
• have
• hold
• maintain
• own
• retain
• use