joy

1 of 2

noun

ˈjȯi 

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

Discovering something new is one of the great joys of eating out.

—Tim Fish

The old boat was his pride and joy.

The baby is a little bundle of joy.

joyless

ˈjȯi-ləs 

adjective

joylessly adverb

joylessness noun

joy

2 of 2

verb

joyed; joying; joys

intransitive verb

archaic

: to experience great pleasure or delight : rejoice

transitive verb

1

archaic : gladden

2

archaic : enjoy

Synonyms of joy

Noun

• happiness
• bliss
• blissfulness

Verb

• delight
• glory
• triumph

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

Noun

But Harrison intercepted Amy du Plessis just 15 meters out from the New Zealand tryline and the crowd of 59,871 erupted in joy and relief while Harrison was buried under a pile of her teammates. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

The resulting feature centers on the challenges, joys and intimate journeys of being born with a body outside the physical definitions of male or female, explored through the lives of intersex individuals in India, Brazil and the United States. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

Her joy in teaching offers children an escape from a war that has trained them to reflexively head for safety when air-raid sirens sound. — Sara Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026

The preview ends with a heart-swelling image of Osbourne smiling and squirming with joy in his throne. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Phrases Containing joy

• shout for joy

Rhymes for joy

• boy
• choy
• coy
• croy
• foy
• hoi
• hoy
• loy
• oy
• ploy
• soy
• toy

Kids Definition

joy

1 of 2 noun

ˈjȯi 

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

-ləs 

adjective

joylessness noun

joy

2 of 2 verb

: to experience joy : rejoice