Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness, or an instance of such feeling.
- noun An expression of such feeling.
- noun A source or an object of joy.
- intransitive verb To take great pleasure; rejoice.
- intransitive verb To fill with ecstatic happiness, pleasure, or satisfaction.
- intransitive verb To enjoy.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To take or feel joy; rejoice; be glad; exult.
- To give joy to;cause to rejoice; gladden; delight.
- To enjoy; possess with pleasure, or have pleasure in the possession of.
- To wish joy to; felicitate; congratulate.
- noun In astrology, an inferior fortitude, as when a planet is in the dignities of another planet congenial to him.
- noun An emotion of pleasure, generally sudden, caused by the gratification of any passion or desire; ardent happiness arising from present or expected good; exultant satisfaction; exhilaration of spirits; gladness; delight.
- noun A source of enjoyment or rejoicing; that which causes gladness or happiness.
- noun Diversion; festivity.
- noun An occasional name of the plant Ranunculus arvensis.
- noun Synonyms Pleasure, Delight, etc. (see
gladness ); Glee, etc. (seehilarity ); happiness, felicity, rapture, bliss.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To rejoice; to be glad; to delight; to exult.
- noun The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight.
- noun That which causes joy or happiness.
- noun The sign or exhibition of joy; gayety; mirth; merriment; festivity.
- transitive verb obsolete To give joy to; to congratulate.
- transitive verb obsolete To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate.
- transitive verb obsolete To enjoy.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun uncountable The feeling of
happiness ,extreme cheerfulness . - noun countable An activity etc which causes this feeling.
- verb intransitive To feel joy, to
rejoice . - verb transitive, archaic To
enjoy . - verb transitive, obsolete To give joy to; to
congratulate . - verb transitive, obsolete To
gladden ; to makejoyful ; toexhilarate .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the emotion of great happiness
- verb make glad or happy
- verb feel happiness or joy
- noun something or someone that provides a source of happiness
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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With panting joy that she was there at last, joy that overcame all distress, Maggie neared the front of the house.
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Not, however, in all kinds of joy, for the _joy of the hypocrite_ is _but for a moment_, [1] that is to say, lasts but for a moment.
The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales Jean Pierre Camus 1618
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Oh, I get such joy, such delicious _joy_ from life. "
Michael O'Halloran Gene Stratton-Porter 1893
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The word joy or joyfulness is mentioned more than 180 times in the Old and New Testaments.
The Power of A Positive Mom Karol Ladd 2001
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"Lord thy will, not mine be done", then you have gained the triumph and the joy is yours, — that is, the "all in all" of Sanctification, believe
Letter from Young John Allen to Mollie Houston,Febrary 14, 1857 2008
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Even as the pain pierces my chest and my tears splash upon his brow, the joy is there, the love is there, keeping my hand pressed upon his back and under his cheek, pulling him to me, ever closer, his gurgles and sighs and the sweet smell of his skin a balm for the pain.
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Even as the pain pierces my chest and my tears splash upon his brow, the joy is there, the love is there, keeping my hand pressed upon his back and under his cheek, pulling him to me, ever closer, his gurgles and sighs and the sweet smell of his skin a balm for the pain.
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Smiles, laughter, flowers … these people are being captured on the happiest day of their lives, and their joy is absolutely infectious.
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The rainbow seemed like a good sign, and Pascal loved the word joy.
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule Harriette Gillem Robinet 1998
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The rainbow seemed like a good sign, and Pascal loved the word joy.
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule Harriette Gillem Robinet 1998
bilby commented on the word joy
'I have no name;
I am but two days old.'
What shall I call thee?
'I happy am,
Joy is my name.'
Sweet joy befall thee!
- William Blake, 'Infant Joy'.
November 1, 2008