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Synonyms

enjoyment

American  
[en-joi-muhnt] / ɛnˈdʒɔɪ mənt /

noun

  • enjoyments
    plural
  1. the act of enjoying.

  2. the possession, use, or occupancy of anything with satisfaction or pleasure.

    to have the enjoyment of a large income.

    Synonyms:
    gratification, delight
  3. a particular form or source of pleasure.

    Hunting is his greatest enjoyment.

  4. Law. the exercise of a right.

    the enjoyment of an estate.


enjoyment British  
/ ɪnˈdʒɔɪmənt /

noun

  1. the act or condition of receiving pleasure from something

  2. the use or possession of something that is satisfying or beneficial

  3. something that provides joy or satisfaction

  4. the possession or exercise of a legal right

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See pleasure.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of enjoyment

First recorded in 1545–55; enjoy + -ment


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.

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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:

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

His obvious joy and enjoyment of being a representative of the city is something I aspire to, and I want people to feel that from me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Jens Berthel Askou brought zest and enjoyment to Fir Park last season and Alfred Johansson, his successor, is trying to build on that.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

"We are creating big corporations where we don't want to be the only people enjoying. We want to spread this enjoyment to the rest of Africa," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there was really an air of great comfort throughout, and by Charlotte’s evident enjoyment of it, Elizabeth supposed he must be often forgotten.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Catherine Rampell nailed it in her Dec. 31 op-ed, “Pandemic tears of joy”: Revisit the simple enjoyments as you would revisit friends you haven’t seen in a while.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 4, 2022

Mrs Samia made reference to the nightlife and other enjoyments the Kenya capital has to offer - but which has been curtailed because of the Covid-19 overnight curfew:

From BBC ● May 6, 2021

“Re-engaging with the same object, even just once, allows a reworking of experiences as consumers consider their own particular enjoyments and understandings of choices they have made.”

From The Guardian ● Feb. 19, 2017

The historical novelist is always prey to the enjoyments of hindsight.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 24, 2016

He was for ever busy, and the only check to his enjoyments was my sorrowful and dejected mind.

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

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