joy

¹joy

noun \ˈjȯi\

Definition of JOY

1

a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2

: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss

3

: a source or cause of delight

— joy·less \-ləs\ adjective

— joy·less·ly adverb

— joy·less·ness noun

Examples of JOY

1. Their sorrow turned to joy.
2. I can hardly express the joy I felt at seeing her again.
3. Seeing her again brought tears of joy to my eyes.
4. The flowers are a joy to behold!
5. What a joy it was to see her again.

Origin of JOY

Middle English, from Anglo-French joie, from Latin gaudia, plural of gaudium, from gaudēre to rejoice; probably akin to Greek gēthein to rejoice

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to JOY

Synonyms: beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness, warm fuzzies

Antonyms: calamity, ill-being, misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness

Related Words: elatedness, elation, exhilaration, exultation, high, intoxication; ecstasy, euphoria, glory, heaven, nirvana, paradise, rapture, rapturousness, ravishment, seventh heaven, transport; delectation, delight, enjoyment, pleasure; cheer, cheerfulness, comfort, exuberance, gaiety (also gayety), gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, jocundity, jollity, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilance, jubilation, lightheartedness, merriness, mirth; content, contentedness, gratification, satisfaction, triumph

Near Antonyms: agony, anguish, desolation, joylessness, sorrow, sufferance, woe, woefulness; blues, cheerlessness, dejection, depression, desolateness, despondency, disheartenment, dispiritedness, doldrums, downheartedness, gloom, gloominess, melancholy, mournfulness, plaintiveness; Gehenna, hell, purgatory

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with JOY

boy, buoy, cloy, coy, foy, goy, hoy, koi, oy, ploy, poi, Roy, soy, toy, troy, Troy