enjoy
Americanverb (used with object)
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enjoys,
present (3rd person singular)
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enjoyed,
past participle, past
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enjoying
present participle
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to experience with joy; take pleasure in.
He enjoys Chinese food.
- Synonyms:
- savor, relish, fancy, appreciate
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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
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to receive pleasure from; take joy in
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to have the benefit of; use with satisfaction
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to have as a condition; experience
the land enjoyed a summer of rain
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archaic to have sexual intercourse with
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to have a good time
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enjoyablenessnoun
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enjoyernoun
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preenjoyverb (used with object)
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reenjoyverb (used with object)
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enjoyableadjective
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unenjoyedadjective
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unenjoyingadjective
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enjoyablyadverb
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enjoyinglyadverb
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unenjoyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enjoysimple
-
enjoyssimple
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have enjoyedperfect
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has enjoyedperfect
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am enjoyingprogressive
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are enjoyingprogressive
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is enjoyingprogressive
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have been enjoyingperfect progressive
-
has been enjoyingperfect progressive
Past
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enjoyedsimple
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had enjoyedperfect
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was enjoyingprogressive
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were enjoyingprogressive
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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:
Commuters on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner can enjoy a snack while taking in the sights, at a fraction of the cost of a plane ticket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
I’d like to travel while I’m still healthy enough to enjoy it.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
"The council have put a bench underneath it where people can come and sit in the shade and enjoy views of the Mournes and of the sea," Martin said.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Sophie Stich, 36, moved from Washington, D.C., to Colorado to work in hospitality and enjoy the area’s outdoor activities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Kennedy smiled and waved, and settled in to enjoy the game.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
He compares it to his enjoyment of chess: The computers are better than the humans, yet he still enjoys the pursuit of finding the right move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 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
"She plays a bit. She enjoys it. Maybe it's a bit of a genetic somewhere there," Medvedev added.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
She said she had taken her mother to Disneyland a while back, and her mother enjoyed watching the parades in person, but also enjoys videos of Disney parades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Gorlitz enjoys it, but the youngest housemate laughs at him.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
In 2020, the constitutional court ruled that noncitizens abroad enjoyed the same fundamental rights protecting them from covert surveillance as German citizens, drastically limiting the agency’s ability to clandestinely collect signal data outside the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Even more lounge spaces exist in the lower level of the home, including a den that’s ready to be enjoyed by guests of all ages.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Max Verstappen spoke recently about how much he enjoyed the endurance racing at the Nurburgring.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
While McVay enjoyed watching Kyren Williams rush for two touchdowns and receiver Puka Nacua rush for another, the Rams had to overcome turnovers, penalties and special teams miscues to improve to 2-2.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
As an insult, Booth enclosed a small sum of money as a payment for the meal they had eaten, but not enjoyed, at Stuart’s.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Badenoch and Burnham both look like they are enjoying themselves on the stage, and are both enthusiastic purveyors of the core of what are their very different worldviews.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Last year, YouTube became the most-watched video provider on televisions in the U.S., with people now enjoying YouTube on TV sets rather than on phones or other devices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Listen to the pop-country godmother: If you’re enjoying the country-crossover renaissance exemplified by Ella Langley’s chart-topping song “Choosin’ Texas,” you’re in for a treat: Langley’s mentor, Miranda Lambert, has a new album out.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
Redick praised how Doncic planned a team minicamp in Slovenia where players and some assistant coaches participated in basketball practices while enjoying team-bonding activities such as golfing, rowing and sightseeing in Doncic’s hometown of Ljubljana.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Caesar was just relaxing, enjoying the air.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
