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

Relevance

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

As the scale read 170 pounds, Whitty cupped her mouth with her hands and cried tears of joy. — Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 No working of any system or joy gathered from an unprovable satirical angle. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness — a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2026 One thing that struck me, listening to Trump at each of his six stops, was how little joy the President seemed to take from the exercise. — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for joy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for joy

Noun

Still, some royal observers don’t think their happiness will last.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 5 Oct. 2026
The happiness was real, for a time, but the two artists, each with his own distinct problems and needs, were not going to be happy together, or with anyone else, for long.

— Alan Hollinghurst, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of happiness

Noun

The more these three play together, the more the emotional register of their music keeps breaching into delight.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
Even Jeff, post-premiere, has been a delight, just kind of letting the game play out and not foisting metaphors upon us at Tribal Council.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 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

In the song, Swift apologizes to an ex for neglecting his feelings, comparing the bliss of a rebound relationship to the excitement of drug users post-withdrawal in recovery, where the term in the title originates.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
For best results, pair the below bad boys with a specialized orthotic insert that will further amplify your podiatric bliss.

— Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of bliss

Noun

His ambition is mostly to lure new customers — including the #BookTok generation — off their screens and into the stores to experience the IRL pleasures of book shopping.

— Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Your work has long played with pleasure, kink and the tension between what is proper and what is provocative — from your infamous jockstraps to the recent patent leather groom who closed the recent men’s show in Milan.

— Tyler Matthew Oyer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of pleasure

Noun

Non-traditional cuts of steaks are the order of the day at Alvear Grill, while L'Orangerie y el Jardin d'Hiver serves a breakfast buffet that's a real treat, and afternoon tea with white-gloved waiters.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Especially right now, since Amazon just shaved 22% off for a Prime Day treat.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of treat

Noun

At Malate Church, parishioners marked the feast Sunday by bringing their beloved pets for a special blessing — mostly dogs but also cats and even a pet snail.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
In the scene, Simon’s family speaks Kreyòl — although to varying degrees of proficiency — and the camera lingers on the Haitian feast presented on the table.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of feast

Browse Nearby Words

jovially

joy

joyed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of joy

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on joy

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

galore

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes