joy 1 of 2

noun

ˈjȯi How to pronounce joy (audio)
Definition of joynext
1
as in happiness
a feeling or state of well-being and contentment the inexpressible joy that the couple are feeling upon the birth of their first child

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2
as in delight
a source of great satisfaction my car is my pride and joy

Synonyms & Similar Words

joy

2 of 2

verb

as in to delight
to feel or express joy or triumph the whole town is joying in the fact that its oldest church has been restored to its Victorian splendor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of joy
Noun
Regardless, there’s a fascinating swing from FOMO (fear of missing out) to JOMO (joy of missing out), and today’s women are learning that alone time is important for personal growth. — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 5 Nov. 2026 After all, not everyone was happy to hear about the now-legendary drag show and its performers’ joy back in the day. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 But for parents, teens, college students, and other social butterflies who want to turn everyday moments into keepsakes, the Mini Evo 2 is a joy. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026 Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for joy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joy
  1. happiness
  2. delight
  3. glory
  4. bliss
  5. pleasure
  6. triumph
  7. treat
  8. feast
Noun
  • That pivot represents a rare about-face for a tech giant that has sought to remake the world in its own image, consumer happiness be damned.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The amateur is freed from the pressures of exhibition and sale, but that might just as easily breed bitterness as happiness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of happiness
Noun
  • The boysenberry, a Knott’s creation, is a delight, a sort of midpoint between a blackberry and a raspberry, although sweeter than both.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • One of the guests chuckles with evil delight when Kerry confirms that someone got in trouble.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of delight
Verb
  • Messi, at 35, led his country to glory against France, winning soccer’s ultimate prize in a pulsating match that finished 3-3 after extra time and had to be settled by a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.
    — Patrick Smith, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2022
  • If Harris can bring together a family with Indian, African, and Jewish heritage, America can glory in its diversity.
    — Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 26 Aug. 2020
Definition of glory
Noun
  • But when mother Fumiko (Asami Usuda) comments that their youngest was complaining about never seeing her father (Takahiro Miura) smile, the cracks beneath this veneer of domestic bliss quickly become apparent.
    — James Marsh, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Excitement, plus a scary house As a child of the 1970s, Halloween night was an evening of bliss for me and my friends.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of bliss
Noun
  • Today’s Venus-Jupiter sextile supports pleasure through friendship and a broader view of life.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Japanese content’s growing reach overseas has been a source of real pleasure.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of pleasure
Verb
  • Indeed, since the moment Abdul El-Sayed triumphed in the Democratic Senate primary, Rogers has made his views of his opponent clear.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • City stayed on course to retain the title by twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 with Brighton at home, then triumph 4-3 in the shootout.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of triumph
Noun
  • Pair festive treats with fragrant tea blends or pop the bubbly.
    — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Chocolate chip cookies, of the slice-and-bake style, were charming, chewy sweet treats.
    — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of treat
Noun
  • Listed below are the feast days of notable saints, ordered by calendar date and chronologically when dates coincide.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • More popular are the evening Polynesian dance shows from groups like Kari Kari and Te Ra’ai, the latter of which comes with a traditional (if highly theatrical) umu feast cooked in an underground earth oven with hot stones.
    — Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of feast

Browse Nearby Words

jovially
joy
joyed
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Cite this Entry

“Joy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joy. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on joy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about joy

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