joy

1 of 2

noun

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
joyless adjective
joylessly adverb
joylessness noun

joy

2 of 2

verb

joyed; joying; joys

intransitive verb

: to experience great pleasure or delight : rejoice

transitive verb

1
archaic : gladden
2
archaic : enjoy

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
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Noun
There have always been fascist forces, there have always been people who are just terrible in the American government, but at the same time, there are always people who have resisted, and there are always people who have still found ways to create joy, to create life, to create art, despite these. Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025 There was so much joy and determination on display during these playoffs. David Remnick, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 Together, these recipes tell a story of love, legacy, and the joy of gathering around a table filled with food that feels like home. Essence, 3 Nov. 2025 The news sparked immense joy from her fanbase, so much so that Rolling Stone reported a 400 percent increase in searches for her music on Spotify. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for joy

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of joy was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Joy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

joy

1 of 2 noun
1
: a feeling of great pleasure or happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being : gladness
2
: something that gives joy
a joy to behold
joyless adjective
joylessness noun

joy

2 of 2 verb
: to experience joy : rejoice

More from Merriam-Webster on joy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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