JOY Synonyms: 121 Similar and Opposite Words

joy 1 of 2

noun

ˈjȯi

Definition of joy

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

December 22 – January 19 The plan that includes joy could take you further than discipline alone. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026 Capricorn December 22 – January 19 The plan that includes joy could take you further than discipline alone. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 His depth of talent and classical music knowledge, honed over a lifetime, is a joy to celebrate with this new album. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 10 July 2026 Gounder, who lives in New York City, knows Wahl would be writing, podcasting, and doing videos, with great joy, about the sterling performances from the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland. — Sean Gregory, Time, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for joy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for joy

Noun

In a way, playing baseball helps bring happiness to those going through tragedy, Rojas said.

— Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
The image is powerful — a dog sprinting across green grass, the quintessential picture of canine happiness.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

Definition of happiness

Noun

Unexpectedly, and to the delight of many, Audio Research’s engineers found a single chassis gave better performance than its predecessor, the two-chassis Reference 10.

— Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 8 July 2026
Just north of town sits Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR), your basecamp for outdoor delight.

— Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 7 July 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 we were too caught up in the communal bliss to take a poll of random kids.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 7 July 2026
And then there are amateur collectors like me, who might not know ironstone from porcelain, but whose last day on earth could be spent touching old objects in ignorant bliss.

— Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2026

Definition of bliss

Verb

So Democratic mainstays such as the three-term Colorado Senator Michael Bennet are losing their campaigns, and members of the Democratic Socialists of America are triumphing.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Morocco has already gone toe-to-toe with Brazil in the group stages and triumphed over the Netherlands in the Round of 32, but bigger fish are there to be fried.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Definition of triumph

Noun

An epic with supernatural and epigenetic overtones, this debut novel looks like a feast of a story.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
The release was inspired by a Victorian holiday feast rather than a traditional bourbon flavor profile, creating a spirit meant to evoke roasted meat, evergreen forest, and winter fruit in the same glass.

— Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of feast

Browse Nearby Words

jovially

joy

joyed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Joy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joy. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of joy

noun

verb

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