delight

1 of 2

noun

de·​light di-ˈlīt 

dē-

1

: a high degree of gratification or pleasure : joy

children squealing in delight

also : extreme satisfaction

seems to take delight in the misfortunes of others

2

: something that gives great pleasure

her performance was a delight

3

archaic : the power of affording pleasure

of more delight than hawks or horses be

—Shakespeare

delight

2 of 2

verb

delighted; delighting; delights

intransitive verb

1

: to take great pleasure

delighted in playing the guitar

2

: to give keen enjoyment

a book certain to delight

transitive verb

: to give joy or satisfaction to

Her books delight readers of all ages.

delighter noun

Synonyms

Noun

• joy

Verb

• joy
• triumph

Examples of delight in a Sentence

Noun

We watched the fireworks with delight.

The kids screamed in delight as they chased one another around the park.

To the delight of the children, there were enough cookies for everyone to have two.

Some people seem to take great delight in hearing about the misfortunes of others.

The trip was a delight.

a garden full of tasty delights

The magazine is a cook's delight.

The stories are a delight to read.

Verb

The toy delighted the children.

The stories will delight readers of all ages.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And then there’s Preserve, a delight for the taste buds where food preservation is central to the dining experience. —Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

These pretty little shortcakes are a delight to make and enjoy—the perfect way to spend an afternoon with Grandma! —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2025

Verb

Double dry-hopped with Simcoe, Edward delights those who enjoy hop aromas and flavors without a pronounced hop bitterness. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

The intimate space features a black-and-white checkerboard floor, vintage touches like a pink phone booth and pastry cases stocked with buttery delights. —Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English deliten, from Anglo-French deliter, from Latin delectare, frequentative of delicere to allure, from de- + lacere to allure

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

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

Phrases Containing delight

• delight in
• take delight in
• to someone's delight
• Turkish delight

Rhymes for delight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

delight

1 of 2 noun

de·​light di-ˈlīt 

1

: extreme pleasure or satisfaction : joy

2

: something that gives great pleasure

delight

2 of 2 verb

1

: to take great pleasure

delighted in playing guitar

2

: to give joy or satisfaction to : please greatly

a book sure to delight