enjoy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to experience with joy; take pleasure in.
He enjoys Chinese food.
- Synonyms:
- savor, relish, fancy, appreciate
-
to have and use with satisfaction; have the benefit of.
He enjoys an excellent income from his trust funds.
-
to find or experience pleasure for (oneself ).
She seems to enjoy herself at everything she does.
-
to undergo (an improvement).
Automobile manufacturers have enjoyed a six-percent rise in sales over the past month.
-
to have intercourse with.
verb
-
to receive pleasure from; take joy in
-
to have the benefit of; use with satisfaction
-
to have as a condition; experience
the land enjoyed a summer of rain
-
archaic to have sexual intercourse with
-
to have a good time
Other Word Forms
- enjoyable adjective
- enjoyableness noun
- enjoyably adverb
- enjoyer noun
- enjoyingly adverb
- preenjoy verb (used with object)
- reenjoy verb (used with object)
- unenjoyed adjective
- unenjoying adjective
- unenjoyingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of enjoy
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enjoyen “to make joyful,” from Old French enjoier “to give joy to”; en- 1 ( def. ), joy ( def. )
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.
She and González had cranked the air conditioner way up, filling the hall with cool air, and she took a moment to enjoy it.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
"Styling myself for games has made me enjoy them more," Prendergast says.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Taking its current form only about a year ago, the show has gained traction among founders and billionaires, as well as regular tech nerds who simply enjoy listening to three-hour-long daily podcasts.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
"Anyone and everyone with a ticket can enjoy the show."
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
We will sleep late tomorrow morning and enjoy our new freedom.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
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.
