joy

¹

[ joi ]

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.

   Synonyms: rapture

   Antonyms: unhappiness, grief, sorrow, misery

2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated:

   Her prose style is a pure joy.

3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. a state of happiness or felicity.

   Synonyms: bliss

verb (used without object)

1. to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.

verb (used with object)

1. Obsolete. to gladden.

Joy

²

or Joye

[ joi ]

noun

1. a female given name.

joy

/ dʒɔɪ /

noun

1. a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment
2. something causing such a feeling; a source of happiness
3. an outward show of pleasure or delight; rejoicing
4. informal.
   success; satisfaction

   I went to the bank for a loan, but got no joy

verb

1. intr to feel joy
2. obsolete.
   tr to make joyful; gladden

Other Words From

• un·joyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of joy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of joy¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see burst with (joy) ; pride and joy .

Synonym Study

See pleasure.

Example Sentences

She considers her husband and daughter her “greatest blessing” but says, “I love acting. It’s my joy. It’s my fun. It’s my social event. It’s all of that. I mean, the fact that you can go and sit in a hair and makeup trailer and talk to everybody, and howl with laughter, is just joy.”

From Los Angeles Times

“My biggest joy were the people I worked with,” she says, embracing the entire Canadian cast and crew but especially her closest co-stars, Chris Diamantopoulos and Guillaume Cyr.

From Los Angeles Times

“How are you going to explain something that’s relatively complicated? We really did want to go into the heart of it, the miracle of lights. The idea of introducing a holiday to viewers that they may not have celebrated before or know much about and introducing it with joy and love and family and togetherness is a way to really allow those universal themes of holiday to come out and bring more happiness and joy to the world.”

From Los Angeles Times

In a statement released to media on Friday, Holly's family said they were taking comfort from the fact she had brought so much "joy and happiness to so many people".

From BBC

I don’t see them getting any joy at St James' Park this time, either.

From BBC

Related Words

• amusement
• bliss
• charm
• cheer
• comfort
• delight
• elation
• glee
• humor
• pride
• satisfaction
• wonder