joie de vivre

[ zhwaduh vee-vruh ]

noun

, French.

1. a delight in being alive; keen, carefree enjoyment of living.

joie de vivre

/ ʒwa də vivrə /

noun

1. joy of living; enjoyment of life; ebullience

joie de vivre

1. A love of life. From French, meaning “joy of living.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of joie de vivre¹

Literally, “joy of living”

Example Sentences

In “Snail,” a traumatized and lonely young Grace risks becoming a hoarding hermit until she bonds with the older Pinky, who is the essence of joie de vivre.

From Los Angeles Times

And in so doing, we lose our enjoyment of the moment, our buoyancy, our joie de vivre.

From Salon

It had been indescribably worse living with contempt, insults and rigid rules as my joie de vivre dulled into depression.

From Salon

The Paris Olympics have brought some joie de vivre to NBCUniversal.

From Los Angeles Times

The two characters she created for him were not infused with joie de vivre, however.

From New York Times

Related Words

• gaiety