joy

1 of 2

noun

ˈjȯi 

1

a

: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight

b

: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2

: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss

3

: a source or cause of delight

joyless

ˈjȯi-ləs 

adjective

joylessly adverb

joylessness noun

joy

2 of 2

verb

joyed; joying; joys

intransitive verb

: to experience great pleasure or delight : rejoice

transitive verb

1

archaic : gladden

2

archaic : enjoy

Synonyms

Noun

• beatitude
• blessedness
• bliss
• blissfulness
• felicity
• gladness
• happiness
• warm fuzzies

Verb

• crow
• delight
• exuberate
• exult
• glory
• jubilate
• kvell
• rejoice
• triumph

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

Noun

Enjoy Basketball styles itself as a media and lifestyle brand celebrating the positivity and joy of basketball. —Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025

Unconventional ties add more joy to men’s wardrobes, a belief strongly held by luxury designer Wangda Chen of his eponymous label Wàngda. —Kristopher Fraser, Robb Report, 20 June 2025

Add Joy to Your Space with Playful Accents Neutrals and minimalism might always be popular, but summer is the perfect time to invite some joy and color into your space. —Kendall Bettle, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2025

Queerness is making peace with estrangement, a digging in and making do where the alternative—the smothering imperatives of the dominant world—is what makes making do feel like joy. —John Birdsall june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French joie, from Latin gaudia, plural of gaudium, from gaudēre to rejoice; probably akin to Greek gēthein to rejoice

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing joy

• jump for joy
• pride and joy
• shout for joy

Rhymes for joy

• boy
• choy
• coy
• croy
• foy
• hoi
• hoy
• loy
• oy
• ploy
• soy
• toy

Kids Definition

joy

1 of 2 noun

ˈjȯi 

1

: a feeling of great pleasure or happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being : gladness

2

: something that gives joy

a joy to behold

joyless

-ləs 

adjective

joylessness noun

joy

2 of 2 verb

: to experience joy : rejoice