joyride

noun

joy·​ride ˈjȯi-ˌrīd 

1

: a ride taken for pleasure (as in a car or aircraft)

especially : an automobile ride marked by reckless driving (as in a stolen car)

2

: conduct or action resembling a joyride especially in disregard of cost or consequences

joyride intransitive verb

joyrider

ˈjȯi-ˌrī-dər 

noun

joyriding noun

Examples of joyride in a Sentence

Some teenager stole my car and took it for a joyride.

Recent Examples on the Web

My joyride with the Pro R Boost proved this rig offers no better out-of-the-box performance experience for the money. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 Nov. 2026

But the Lifting procedure has stricken Josie with some sort of unspecified neurological disorder that gets activated when the duo and Josie’s friend Rick (Aran Murphy) take a joyride in Chrissie’s self-driving Buick. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026

But this trip was more than just a joyride through green, rolling, scenic mountains. — IEEE Spectrum, 13 Sep. 2026

The 24 hour silence did lead many to believe his joyride was over, and he must have been discovered. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for joyride

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied

Kids Definition

joyride

noun

joy·​ride ˈjoi-ˌrīd 

: a ride taken for pleasure and often marked by reckless driving

joyrider

-ˌrīd-ər 

noun