joy
[ joi ]
/ dʒɔɪ /
noun
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.
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.
verb (used without object)
to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.
verb (used with object)
Obsolete.
to gladden.
Origin of joy
1175–1225; Middle English
joy(e) < Old French
joie, joye < Late Latin
gaudia, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular) of Latin
gaudium joy, equivalent to
gaud- (base of
gaudēre to be glad) +
-ium
-ium
OTHER WORDS FROM joy
un·joyed, adjectiveWords nearby joy
Definition for joy (2 of 2)
Joy
or Joye
[ joi ]
/ dʒɔɪ /
noun
a female given name.
Example sentences from the Web for joy
British Dictionary definitions for joy
joy
/ (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
British informal
success; satisfaction
I went to the bank for a loan, but got no joy
verb
(intr)
to feel joy
(tr) obsolete
to make joyful; gladden
Word Origin for joy
C13: from Old French
joie, from Latin
gaudium joy, from
gaudēre to be glad
Idioms and Phrases with joy
joy
see burst with (joy); pride and joy.