joy
noun
the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.
joy
1 American
[joi]
/ dʒɔɪ /
noun
-
joys
plural
-
the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.
She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.
- Synonyms:
- rapture
- Antonyms:
- grief, sorrow, unhappiness, misery
-
a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.
Her prose style is a pure joy.
-
the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
-
a state of happiness or felicity.
- Synonyms:
- bliss
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
Joy
2
American
[joi]
/ dʒɔɪ /
Or
Joye
noun
joy
British
/ dʒɔɪ /
noun
-
a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment
-
something causing such a feeling; a source of happiness
-
an outward show of pleasure or delight; rejoicing
-
informal success; satisfaction
I went to the bank for a loan, but got no joy
verb
-
(intr) to feel joy
-
obsolete (tr) to make joyful; gladden
joy
Idioms
Synonym Usage
See pleasure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of joy
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English joy(e), from Old French joie, joye, from Late Latin gaudia, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular) of Latin gaudium “joy,” equivalent to gaud- (base of gaudēre “to be glad”) + -ium -ium
Explanation
Joy is the emotion of pleasure and happiness. Joy can also be the very thing that delights you. You might find great joy in learning new vocabulary. Or not. Joy can also be used as a verb. You can joy in the fact that you have no homework for the weekend. Or, you might want to rejoice when the teacher announces that the test has been canceled. It's a real joy to use the word as an adjective, too. For example, receiving straight A's probably makes you extremely joyful.
Vocabulary lists containing joy
"The Giving Tree"
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Key Words, Unit 5
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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:
The local mayor praised authorities for recovering the paintings and said the news gave immense joy and profound relief.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
I know comparison is the thief of joy, but how do you stop comparing yourself to the people around you?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
As “The New Dark Ages” makes clear, there is a lot more at stake than the joy of reading in what the subtitle calls the “Dawn of the Post-Literate Society.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
And joy is a thing all of us could use right now.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
He’d been overthinking his future at the expense of his joy.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Joy Wiltermuth explained how the market reacted negatively to the Treasury Department’s bond auction and redemption activities following strong words about government intervention by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 was on its way to Basilan island from Zamboanga city, a major port in the main southern island of Mindanao.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 sank along nearly the same route where 31 people died in 2023 after a fire broke out aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Joy Chen, an Altadena resident who leads a group for survivors of the 2025 Eaton Fire, said a mid-August briefing by one of Newsom’s advisers on the proposal left her “absolutely stunned.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
I watch it bend and stretch like a slow-turning cyclone until it stops at the street signs—where Joy Road meets American Street.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Don’t get me wrong, “Colin” is one of the joys of our lives, but it takes a lot out of us even though it’s highly collaborative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The characters in her books doggedly seek the joys of love and art while the apocalypse rages in the background.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Dame Prue Leith is celebrating her perceived joys of the golden years as she prepares to discuss "Growing Old Disgracefully" with fellow authors Gyles Brandreth and Kathy Lette.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Fortunately, I’m healthy enough to travel — one of my greatest joys in this chapter of life.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Try it, honey. Let’s hear the sound of the baby pianny,” said Hannah, who always took a share in the family joys and sorrows.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
