enjoyment
Americannoun
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the act of enjoying.
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the possession, use, or occupancy of anything with satisfaction or pleasure.
to have the enjoyment of a large income.
- Synonyms:
- gratification, delight
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a particular form or source of pleasure.
Hunting is his greatest enjoyment.
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Law. the exercise of a right.
the enjoyment of an estate.
noun
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the act or condition of receiving pleasure from something
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the use or possession of something that is satisfying or beneficial
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something that provides joy or satisfaction
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the possession or exercise of a legal right
Synonym Usage
See pleasure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of enjoyment
Explanation
Enjoyment is what you experience when you are having a good time. You probably experience enjoyment in an amusement park, and a lack of enjoyment at the dentist. When you enjoy something, you like doing it. Enjoyment is a word for the pleasure that comes from enjoyable activities. Lots of people get enjoyment from reading, seeing movies, watching TV, and playing video games. Hanging out with friends is another common form of enjoyment. If you dislike doing something, then it brings you no enjoyment. Enjoyment is the opposite of feelings like boredom and misery.
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.
For your evening enjoyment, and to help get you in the spirit of the holiday weekend, I’d humbly suggest:
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026
She is, the argument goes, a poet for the moms and the mushy-hearted, for readers with no formalist inclinations, for those more interested in enjoyment than enjambment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Academic and author Scott Galloway has said that instead of following your passion, you should follow your talent — and enjoyment will follow.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
But its allegation that Meta downloaded its films to train its AI bots, rather than just for personal enjoyment, is a new wrinkle for an old issue.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
“An excellent host who had little real enjoyment in the ball.”
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
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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.