enjoy

verb

en·​joy in-ˈjȯi How to pronounce enjoy (audio)
en-
enjoyed; enjoying; enjoys
Synonyms of enjoy

intransitive verb

: to have a good time

transitive verb

1
: to have for one's use, benefit, or lot : experience
enjoyed great success
2
: to take pleasure or satisfaction in
enjoyable
in-ˈjȯi-ə-bəl How to pronounce enjoy (audio)
en-
adjective
enjoyableness noun
enjoyably
in-ˈjȯi-ə-blē How to pronounce enjoy (audio)
en-
adverb
enjoyer noun
see also:
enjoy oneself

Synonyms of enjoy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of enjoy in a Sentence

Relax and enjoy the view. He always enjoys a good laugh. No one enjoys being teased. She enjoyed great success in her new business. The show enjoyed a brief surge of popularity. They enjoyed a large income from their investments.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
State level school vouchers have enjoyed a period of growth largely free from regulation and oversight, but the advent of federal vouchers has the potential to change that. — Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Beasley, ever the showman, actually planted a kiss on KU forward Carlton Bragg’s cheek as the Cats enjoyed every moment of Tuesday’s rout. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026 The menu favors Italian seafood dishes, to be enjoyed with a panoramic sunset view. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 22 July 2026 Both of the youngsters fledged, or took their first flight from the nest, but are still hanging around their natal digs, enjoying parental food deliveries and protection from intruders. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for enjoy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enjoien, from Anglo-French enjoir, enjoier to gladden, enjoy, from en- + joie joy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of enjoy was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing enjoy

Rhymes for enjoy

See All Rhymes for enjoy

Browse Nearby Words

enjoinment
enjoy
enjoyable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enjoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enjoy. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

enjoy

verb
en·​joy in-ˈjȯi How to pronounce enjoy (audio)
1
: to have or experience as a benefit or for one's use
enjoy great success
enjoying the freedom to pursue one's interests
2
: to take pleasure from
I didn't enjoy the movie
enjoyable
-ə-bəl How to pronounce enjoy (audio)
adjective
enjoyableness noun
enjoyably
-blē How to pronounce enjoy (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on enjoy

Nglish: Translation of enjoy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All