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:
Eric Briones, director of the Paris School of Luxury, told AFP that only the fourth designer in Chanel's history had "brought joy" to the brand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
After the victory, captain McMeeken said he found himself lost in the ecstasy of the moment and joy of the club's long suffering supporters.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager, said he could see the joy in Skubal on the day the Dodgers celebrated the division title.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
But then "the joy fades, the adrenaline subsides, and you're faced with the reality of having to return to normal life again."
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The joy of sticking it to Elliot faded quickly as goose bumps prickled up my neck.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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
“The View” host Joy Behar has officially offloaded her longtime Hamptons home for $5.65 million—more than $5 million below her original asking price.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
None of this was a surprise to Joy Chen of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
And Joy Snowberger, wise in All Things Family, sighed and said, “Yes, I believe he is.”
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
"One of the joys of my character was how strong and feisty she is: she had the upper hand over the men, for the most part," she told the Guardian, external in 2018.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
While Mr. Guimarães’s story is upbeat, it’s not a simple paean to the joys of becoming an American.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
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
Fortunately, I’m healthy enough to travel — one of my greatest joys in this chapter of life.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
Her joys and sorrows, the fabric of her days, are all missing.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
