1
a
: a feeling of great happiness or pleasure : delight
Seeing you happy gives me such joy.
They were shouting/jumping for joy. [=they shouted/jumped because they were very happy]
b
: the expression or exhibition of such emotion
a gathering full of joy and laughter
2
: a state of great happiness : bliss
wishes of love, joy, and peace for all
3
: a source or cause of delight
The sun is the joy and the sorrow of the people. It destroys their crops while it warms them with the heat they could not live without.—
Maia Wojciechowska
Maia WojciechowskaDiscovering something new is one of the great joys of eating out.—Tim Fish
Tim FishThe old boat was his pride and joy.
The baby is a little bundle of joy.
joyed; joying; joys
Examples of joy in a Sentence
Noun
Their sorrow turned to joy.
I can hardly express the joy I felt at seeing her again.
Seeing her again brought tears of joy to my eyes.
The flowers are a joy to behold!
What a joy it was to see her again.
Verb
the whole town is joying in the fact that its oldest church has been restored to its Victorian splendor
Recent Examples on the Web
Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
She’s found joy and purpose off the track, too.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
However, to date, the relationship has been the best, as it has been adorned with love, kindness, joy and fulfillment.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Just over a year ago in Syria, when Bashar al-Assad’s rule ended, demonstrations of joy erupted all over the country and in many cases focused on tearing down images of him and his father.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joy
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Noun
Bad Bunny took us through tableaux of Latinx joy, with different expressions of beautiful hair in each vignette.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
She’s found joy and purpose off the track, too.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
However, to date, the relationship has been the best, as it has been adorned with love, kindness, joy and fulfillment.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Just over a year ago in Syria, when Bashar al-Assad’s rule ended, demonstrations of joy erupted all over the country and in many cases focused on tearing down images of him and his father.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joy
Cite this Entry
“Joy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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