joy1 nounjoy2 verb
joyjoy1 /dʒɔɪ/ ●●● W3 noun 
WORD ORIGINjoy1
Origin:
1100-1200 Old French joie, from Latin gaudiaEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Christmas is a time of joy.
- Everyone who knew her said she was a joy and an inspiration.
- I was so excited about getting the job, I nearly jumped for joy.
- It's hard to describe the joy we felt, seeing each other again after so many years.
- People at the wedding laughed and danced with joy.
- The sisters hugged and cried tears of joy.
- The time we spent together in the Bahamas was pure joy.
- The toys will bring great joy to countless children.
- And this joy of discovery can prove among the richest of rewards.
- Anyway, I phoned the pub, and no joy.
- Her optimism, her joy of life in those last hours, had nourished the medical staff.
- If it was so unimportant, why, last night, had she scarcely slept for joy and excitement?
- It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before - so much feeling, so much exquisite joy.
- Taking pride and joy in my work had seemed just a dream to me once.
- They give hope and help to those in need and a sense of joy and self-worth to us.
- To recapture the joys and imagination of childhood!
THESAURUS
the feeling you have when you are doing something you enjoy or when something very nice has happened to you: · Most craftsmen get a lot of pleasure out of making things.· His music has brought pleasure to people all over the world.
the feeling you have when you are happy: · Happiness is more important than money.· Pauline was willing to do anything for her children’s happiness.· I doubt she’ll find happiness with Gary.
especially written a deep feeling of great happiness, because something good has happened: · It’s hard to describe the joy we felt, seeing each other again after so many years.· They danced with joy when they heard the news.
great happiness and excitement, because of something good that has happened: · To the audience’s delight, she agreed to play another song.· Imagine my delight when I found out that the house was for sale.
a quietly happy and satisfied feeling, especially because you are happy with your work, your life etc: · He moved to the country and found contentment for the first time in his life.· She settled back in her chair and sighed with contentment.
an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement that continues for a short time: · The whole country experienced a period of euphoria after the war ended.· the euphoria that parents feel after the birth of a child
formal a strong feeling of happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something: · After she had made her first landing, she experienced a great sense of elation.· The troops’ sense of elation at the victory was not to last.
great happiness especially written a feeling of great happiness: · The sisters hugged and cried tears of joy.· It was a day of great joy for the whole town.· Most people would be jumping with joy.
the feeling you have when you are very pleased and excited because something good has happened: · They watched with delight as their new son started walking.· To her delight, she discovered the perfect wedding present.
a feeling of very great happiness and great pleasure – used when something has a great effect on your senses: · Lying in the warm sun and listening to the sea felt like sheer bliss (=complete bliss).· Her idea of bliss is to be curled up on the sofa watching a romantic comedy with a big bowl of popcorn.· The happy couple looked a picture of domestic bliss.
written a feeling of great happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something or something good has happened to you: · As they reached the top, the climbers experienced a moment of elation.· Her mood suddenly changed from tears and misery to a feeling of elation.
an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something, or because of the effects of a drug: · The euphoria that new parents feel quickly changes to exhaustion.· The euphoria of Ireland’s amazing victory over England last Sunday has died away.· The drug produces a feeling of euphoria.
an extremely strong feeling of happiness and pleasure, especially sexual pleasure: · It was a moment of sheer ecstasy (=complete ecstasy).· the ecstasy of their love-making
Longman Language Activatora happy feeling · Happiness is more important than money.· Pauline was willing to do anything for her children's happiness.find happiness (=become happy) · I doubt she'll find happiness with Gary.
the feeling you have when you are doing something you enjoy or when something very nice had happened to you: · Most craftsmen get a lot of pleasure out of making things.for pleasure: · Are you taking the trip for business or pleasure?give/bring pleasure: · His music has brought pleasure to people all over the world.take pleasure in (doing) something: · Cooper took obvious pleasure in announcing the merger.
especially written a feeling of great happiness, often because something good has happened: · It's hard to describe the joy we felt, seeing each other again after so many years.· The time we spent together in the Bahamas was pure joy.bring joy to somebody: · The toys will bring great joy to countless children.with joy: · People at the wedding laughed and danced with joy.jump/shout/yell etc for joy: · I was so excited about getting the job, I nearly jumped for joy.tears/shouts/cries etc of joy: · The sisters hugged and cried tears of joy.
great happiness and excitement, especially about something good that has happened: · Imagine our delight when we saw your article in the New Yorker.delight at/in: · Paul's delight at being asked to play the piano for us was clear.to somebody's delight: · To the audience's delight, she agreed to do another number.take delight in (doing) something: · Horton takes great delight in learning.with delight: · Robin laughed with delight as the birthday cake was carried in.
a quietly happy and satisfied feeling: · Joey sighed with contentment, snuggling down in his warm bed.
a feeling of very deep happiness and extreme pleasure: · A feeling of bliss came over him as he fell asleep.sheer/pure bliss: · Lying in the warm sun, listening to the sea was sheer bliss.wedded/marital bliss: · After what appeared to be nine years of wedded bliss, the couple has separated.
an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement that continues for a short time: · The whole country experienced a period of euphoria after winning the war.· The euphoria that new parents feel quickly changes to exhaustion.
written a strong feeling of happiness, excitement, and pride: · As he spoke you could hear the elation in his voice.· The troops sense of elation at the victory was not to last.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYphrases
The beauty of the garden was a pleasure to behold. I was filled with admiration for her.
· I was full of joy at the thought of seeing her again.
· She began to cry again, but they were tears of joy.
· A feeling of total joy swept over him.
· I’ll never forget the sense of joy that day.
· There was a look of joy on their faces.
· They greeted each other with cries of joy.
adjectives· To her great joy, she became the mother of two beautiful baby girls.
(=a lot of joy, not mixed with other feelings)· It was a moment of pure joy.
formal (=very great joy)· She experienced a feeling of overwhelming joy.
· How can I find true joy in life?
verbs (=make someone feel joy)· Her children have brought her great joy.
· His music has given people a lot of joy over the years.
· He had never felt the joy of watching the seasons come and go.
(=be very pleased about something)· She tried to stay calm, but she was secretly jumping for joy.
(=show it)· They expressed their joy by jumping up and down and hugging each other.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The beauty of the garden was a pleasure to behold.· The decision brought him great relief.
I was filled with admiration for her.· Lucinda flashed him a smile of pure joy.
· The tears he shed were tears of joy.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The prospect of seeing them made him full of joy.· So we ate for hours, laughing and full of the joy of family.· A Brownie is always full of joy.· It is the full joy of existence.· When we gather together in Church on christmas Day around the alter with the priest we are full of joy.· The house seemed full of joy.· His last years were full of joy, thankfulness, fun and useful work, helping other people.· I was full of joy at the prospect of meeting Agnes the next day.
· Vividly picture going on a wonderful shopping spree, buying everything you have ever dreamt of, with great joy and exuberance.· Fortunately, even flawed loaves are usually delicious and can often be consumed with great joy.· It is an hour of great joy.· For me there is no greater joy than this.· One of the great joys of forum theatre is that it is extremely flexible.· One of my great joys at the moment is the Portland Stage Company, our repertory acting group.· What greater joy can there be?· My greatest joy as a lawyer was making partner.
· It was a moment of such pure joy that I probably went pink with pleasure.· For some, there is the pure joy of watching talent they nurtured through countless Saturday afternoons in the driveway playing Horse.· He didn't speak, but there was no mistaking his smile of pure joy.· My heart races with excitement, pure joy washes over me.· His kiss was pure joy, winging happiness, as if her spirit was soaring into a clear sky.· Fiction is pure joy how sad that I could not reinvent the trip as fiction.· Joy in a Strauss Waltz or in Tchaikovsky is purer than the joy elicited by words.· Many of them, of course, watch a Webcast for the pure joy of doing it.
· A real joy to see such real craftsmanship and pride in work.· Voice over There's very real joy and pride, as the the veterans of the resistance are reunited in Brussels.· It will be a real joy for me to begin getting around the diocese in the months ahead.
· But watching the talented wrist-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed was sheer joy.· I felt as if I were on fire with energy and I laughed for the sheer joy of it.· And you may shed a tear or two - for the sheer joy of it all.· The sheer joy of having pockets and flies was something that lasted for weeks.· The sheer joy of having me under his power, of being able to spend all and every day staring at me.· In love meant all the colours, all the sounds, all the sights, sheer joy.· He clasped Joanne in his arms, not for love or lust, just sheer joy at being alive.· When they laugh it's with sheer joy.
VERB· The horticultural efforts of individual residents are a joy to behold, and reflect great credit on those concerned.
· We might think that this change of life would bring joy primarily to the person who is redeemed.· Joyfully praise him, Him who brings joy.· It would bring joy to millions of people if the Royals gave up bloodsports.· Firstly, that if he could do so, he would rather bring joy than pain.· Instead of bringing joy, this interlude produced aimlessness and corrosion of the spirit.· However, the closure of pits brings no joy to any party.· It will bring with it joy and self-satisfaction in the long run.· He brings a joy and an ebullience to his work which is a fantastic morale booster for the cast.
· In a throwback to the days of Confucius, Jiang essentially wants party members to discover the joys of clean living.· I had discovered the joys of politics.· We discovered the joys of moleskin and the art of walking on our hands and knees.
· Your son/daughter will experience joy, peace and togetherness.· I experienced the joy and excitement of the subject as I discovered something for the first time.· Yorkshire Museum of Farming Visit Murtonpark to experience the joys of the countryside.· To experience the joy only he could bring her.· Prayer May we learn to experience the joy of giving.· Biotechnology has been round since mankind first experienced the joys of home brewing.
· Three easy words that expressed her physical joy.· Cutty smiled his slow smile that expressed no joy.· I kept silent, unable to express the joy I felt, overwhelmed by the present.· It makes us very humble that they can express this joy out of their nothingness.
· I didn't feel joy about it.· Only a race driver can know-can feel-the joys of motor racing.· To feel joy when you are surrounded by disaster.· Suddenly I felt a joy so strong it almost knocked me down.· If it enhances our security we feel things like joy and peace.· He felt a joy so strong it might be measured in the language of angelic orders, of powers and dominations.· But she felt none of the joy she had anticipated.· If they feel our joy in pursuits apart from them, they learn that they too can enjoy life apart from us.
· His life was a beautiful thing, it was filled with joy.· For the most part, he was filled with a tremendous joy for who would not be, to escape death.· The fact that such technology has already had a major impact upon the leisure industry should not fill us with wild joy.· Then as it wrote out her name as a signature, I was filled with joy and wept.· He looked into her face and all at once was filled with joy.· No wonder that in that same verse Paul bids us be filled with all joy and peace in believing.· Which choice seems filled with light and joy?
· To find a simple joy in his supreme talent that the rest of us had enjoyed for years.· We are meant to find sustenance and joy from this planet.· In the boat again they can know he is with them and find joy in his presence.· Learning holidays Many people find great joy in combining a holiday with learning a new skill.· These will fade away and I will find joy and enthusiasm for what I do.· It is only when an action or a meeting moves us that we can find joy.
· If I am able to offer a small flicker of light, that will give me great joy!· It is merely the sight of a small head bowed over the pages that gives me indescribable joy.· All he had given her was bodily joy, and a life that had ended in pain, among strangers.· Marcia was happy, knowing it was she and what she was doing that gave Bethany the joy of her feelings.· But the news gave no joy to Earle.· This unusual relationship gave us the joy of knowing her very well.· From them a new vision and emotion will emanate to solace the soul and give it joy.
· If they jump for joy today hold off until they sober up again.· You ought to be jumping with joy.· Most people would jump with joy to hear of the mortgage war that broke out this week between Nationwide and Halifax.· Here he is jumping for joy.· No one was jumping for joy because they'd finally got the piece they'd been searching for for years.· He hadn't been exactly jumping for joy to have her here in the first place, as she knew very well.
· May we give pleasure to other people by sharing our joy and happiness with them.· Petra Arroyos found immense pleasure in books and wanted her grandchildren to share that joy.· Still and calm, the gentle trees soar around me, sheltering me and sharing my joy and calm.· Let us share our joy, not just our sorrow.· If only Louisa were by to share the joy of it.· Because you are not a problem to them, they can share their joys and sorrows with you.· He wanted to share his joy - or his misery.· Soo-Il invited hundreds of people to share in his joy.
· For Jack, it was a joy to watch her walk; her step was light and happiness shone from her.· For some, there is the pure joy of watching talent they nurtured through countless Saturday afternoons in the driveway playing Horse.· The result, although dark and satirical, is a joy to watch - hilariously funny and unremittingly scabrous.· What a joy it is to watch the energy and expressiveness of such play.· The simple joy of watching a game slowly unfold was replaced by the chrome brutality of the box score.· Pitting the hood down is a joy to watch.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► hug yourself with joy/delight etc► be in a transport of delight/joy etc► be transported with delight/joy etc
1[uncountable] great happiness and pleasure: - Bates himself was warm and genial, and his cohorts were having such a good time that their faces glowed with pleasure.
- Chest out, glowing with pride we return to base with labrador on lap and conversation stilted.
- Midge was glowing with pleasure and pride at the return of her beloved John and Angela.
- She glowed with pride at a graduation honor he received.
- The President glowed with pride and a sense of accomplishment after this masterstroke of personal diplomacy.
- He hadn't been exactly jumping for joy to have her here in the first place, as she knew very well.
- Here he is jumping for joy.
- If they jump for joy today hold off until they sober up again.
- It is, literally, a jump for joy.
- No one was jumping for joy because they'd finally got the piece they'd been searching for for years.
- Christina was an only child, her parents' pride and joy.
- The garden was my father's pride and joy, the real expression of his creativity.
- Todd's magnificent Rolls Royce had been his pride and joy for many years.
- We don't have any children, so Snowball is our pride and joy.
- Or if your pride and joy 80 inch needs new swivel hubs, these are readily available.
- Peter's pride and joy didn't look quite so pretty any more.
- Seven-year-old leukaemia sufferer Paul Hindle was dragged off his pride and joy when the gang pounced as he played with his pals.
- Taking pride and joy in my work had seemed just a dream to me once.
- The car was her and boyfriend Robert; s pride and joy.
- The cottage was Anthea's pride and joy.
- Today, his pride and joy is more like a Corolla.
- She's still full of the joys of spring.
the look of joy on her facewith/for joy I leaped into the air with joy. She wept for joy. I didn’t exactly jump for joy (=I was not very pleased) when I heard the news.► see thesaurus at pleasureRegisterJoy is used especially in literature. In everyday English, rather than say they did something with joy, people usually say that they were (really) pleased/happy/glad to do it:· Thank you for your letter. I was really pleased to get it.2[countable] something or someone that gives you happiness and pleasurejoy of one of the joys of travelling alone The garden was his pride and joy.be a joy to watch/drive/use etc The children’s singing was a joy to listen to.3no joy British English spoken if you have no joy, you do not succeed in getting something: I phoned the pub, but no joy. The landlord didn’t know where she was.COLLOCATIONSphrasesbe filled with joy/be full of joy· I was full of joy at the thought of seeing her again.tears of joy· She began to cry again, but they were tears of joy.a feeling of joy· A feeling of total joy swept over him.a sense of joy· I’ll never forget the sense of joy that day.a look of joy· There was a look of joy on their faces.shouts/cries of joy· They greeted each other with cries of joy.adjectivesgreat joy· To her great joy, she became the mother of two beautiful baby girls.pure/sheer/complete joy (=a lot of joy, not mixed with other feelings)· It was a moment of pure joy.overwhelming joy formal (=very great joy)· She experienced a feeling of overwhelming joy.true/real joy· How can I find true joy in life?verbsbring joy to somebody (=make someone feel joy)· Her children have brought her great joy.give (somebody) joy· His music has given people a lot of joy over the years.feel/experience joy· He had never felt the joy of watching the seasons come and go.be jumping for joy (=be very pleased about something)· She tried to stay calm, but she was secretly jumping for joy.express your joy (=show it)· They expressed their joy by jumping up and down and hugging each other.joy1 nounjoy2 verb
joyjoy2 verb [intransitive] literary COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The beauty of the garden was a pleasure to behold. I was filled with admiration for her.
The beauty of the garden was a pleasure to behold.· The decision brought him great relief.
I was filled with admiration for her.· Lucinda flashed him a smile of pure joy.
· The tears he shed were tears of joy.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► hug yourself with joy/delight etc► be in a transport of delight/joy etc► be transported with delight/joy etc
to be happy because of something- Bates himself was warm and genial, and his cohorts were having such a good time that their faces glowed with pleasure.
- Chest out, glowing with pride we return to base with labrador on lap and conversation stilted.
- Midge was glowing with pleasure and pride at the return of her beloved John and Angela.
- She glowed with pride at a graduation honor he received.
- The President glowed with pride and a sense of accomplishment after this masterstroke of personal diplomacy.
- He hadn't been exactly jumping for joy to have her here in the first place, as she knew very well.
- Here he is jumping for joy.
- If they jump for joy today hold off until they sober up again.
- It is, literally, a jump for joy.
- No one was jumping for joy because they'd finally got the piece they'd been searching for for years.
- Christina was an only child, her parents' pride and joy.
- The garden was my father's pride and joy, the real expression of his creativity.
- Todd's magnificent Rolls Royce had been his pride and joy for many years.
- We don't have any children, so Snowball is our pride and joy.
- Or if your pride and joy 80 inch needs new swivel hubs, these are readily available.
- Peter's pride and joy didn't look quite so pretty any more.
- Seven-year-old leukaemia sufferer Paul Hindle was dragged off his pride and joy when the gang pounced as he played with his pals.
- Taking pride and joy in my work had seemed just a dream to me once.
- The car was her and boyfriend Robert; s pride and joy.
- The cottage was Anthea's pride and joy.
- Today, his pride and joy is more like a Corolla.
- She's still full of the joys of spring.