joy

[ joi ]
See synonyms for joy on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.

  2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

  1. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

  2. a state of happiness or felicity.

verb (used without object)
  1. to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.

verb (used with object)
  1. Obsolete. to gladden.

Origin of joy

1
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

synonym study For joy

4. See pleasure.

Other words for joy

Opposites for joy

Other words from joy

  • un·joyed, adjective

Words Nearby joy

Other definitions for Joy (2 of 2)

Joy

or Joye

[ joi ]

noun
  1. a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use joy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for joy

joy

/ (dʒɔɪ) /


noun
  1. a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment

  2. something causing such a feeling; a source of happiness

  1. an outward show of pleasure or delight; rejoicing

  2. British informal success; satisfaction: I went to the bank for a loan, but got no joy

verb
  1. (intr) to feel joy

  2. (tr) obsolete to make joyful; gladden

Origin of joy

1
C13: from Old French joie, from Latin gaudium joy, from gaudēre to be glad

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with joy

joy

see burst with (joy); pride and joy.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.