enjoy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
enjoys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enjoyed,
past participle, past
-
enjoying
present participle
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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
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to receive pleasure from; take joy in
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to have the benefit of; use with satisfaction
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
is enjoyingprogressive
-
have been enjoyingperfect progressive
-
has been enjoyingperfect progressive
Past
-
enjoyedsimple
-
had enjoyedperfect
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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:
Today, rising yields mean that home buyers who had to borrow at higher rates will have to wait a while longer to refinance and enjoy lower monthly payments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
I enjoy the ideas and the silhouettes of Japanese fashion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
That’s simply no way to live, and it’s certainly not a way to enjoy a movie as anything deeper or more important than a fleeting experience.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
For the moment, Amy is determined to enjoy her life.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
He had dropped all pretense of questioning me on my underground activities and seemed especially to enjoy hearing about my childhood.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
There is another concern behind my hesitation: My brother previously had corporate jobs earning six figures but left that career and now works at a job he enjoys that pays less than $50,000 a year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
She enjoys recognition but doesn’t pander to the Hollywood gaze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The performance in Portugal highlighted why those in power at City believe he has all attributes to "develop into a world class talent" and he clearly enjoys playing on the biggest stage.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The family spends a lot of time at the local library and enjoys taking their kids out for pho and on weekend camping trips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Every once in a while, she tosses back the front flap like it’s in her way, but she looks like she enjoys this gesture too much for it to really be a problem.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Cerimedo had no official capacity in Paz’s government, but he enjoyed insider status.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Reflecting on finishing at the bottom of the Eurovision scoreboard, Battle said many people had enjoyed the performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
These crimes threaten what many consider invaluable artefacts of historical and cultural value enjoyed by the public - although some people argue they steal "from the rich, who cares?"
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
My husband enjoyed humble pleasures, and he had two favorite fast-casual restaurants where the food was good, the patrons were kind, and the staff were simply salt-of-the-earth people.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The story was so weird, but we enjoyed the pictures of the strange creatures and people Alice met, like the ones with bodies made from playing cards.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Catie and Phil Allen should have been enjoying their first holiday in two-and-a-half years.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
A museum in Reading, west of London, is enjoying a flurry of attention for its little-known Victorian replica of the tapestry.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Instead, the 17-year-old was at the cliffs enjoying his last few days off before beginning his senior year of high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
“The West Coast is beautiful, and I’ve spent more than a decade in this home enjoying Los Angeles,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
He took out a couple of the white segments and popped them in his mouth, enjoying their sweetness.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
