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
Maia WojciechowskaDiscovering something new is one of the great joys of eating out.—Tim Fish
Tim FishThe old boat was his pride and joy.
The baby is a little bundle of joy.
joyed; joying; joys
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
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Burnight has experienced joy in challenging times and has observed it.
—Helen Dennis, Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Those days brought a peace, a welcome celebration of a man who injected joy and faith into every aspect of his life.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The Children’s Center offerings for kids 5-8 provide a nurturing environment for youngsters to discover the joy of self-expression.
—Jessie Dax-Setkus, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joy
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Noun
Bringing joy to the airport In 2020, PDX was celebrating the opening of a new concourse and invited the llamas from Mountain Peaks to join the festivities.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Burnight has experienced joy in challenging times and has observed it.
—Helen Dennis, Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Those days brought a peace, a welcome celebration of a man who injected joy and faith into every aspect of his life.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The Children’s Center offerings for kids 5-8 provide a nurturing environment for youngsters to discover the joy of self-expression.
—Jessie Dax-Setkus, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joy
Cite this Entry
“Joy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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