Word
delight
Phoneticsde·light, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈɫaɪt/
UK/dɪlˈaɪt/
Definitions
01great pleasure
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a feeling of very high happiness or satisfaction.
n. a high degree of gratification or pleasure; joy. Often uncountable when referring to the emotion itself.
日本語:喜び※
“The children screamed with delight when they saw the snow falling.”
“To the delight of the local residents, the council finally approved the plans for a new community park and library.”
Antonyms
02something enjoyable
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. something that gives you great pleasure or joy.
n. a person or thing that provides a source of great pleasure. Countable in this sense.
日本語:楽しみ※
“The small garden was a delight to visit in the middle of summer.”
“The local bakery is a hidden delight, offering traditional pastries that have remained unchanged for three generations.”
03to please someone
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to give someone great pleasure or to make them very happy.
v. to affect with great pleasure or to gratify highly. Transitive use.
日本語:喜ばす※
“The magician's clever tricks delighted the audience of all ages.”
“The chef's innovative approach to traditional Mediterranean cuisine delighted even the most demanding food critics.”
Antonyms
04to take pleasure in
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to get a lot of pleasure from doing something.
v. to derive great pleasure or satisfaction from an activity. Intransitive; almost always takes the preposition 'in'.
“He delights in telling stories about his travels around the world.”
“The novelist seemed to delight in creating complex characters whose motives remained a mystery until the final chapter.”
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'in' and a gerund or noun phrase.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “delight” in context.
Verb
01. express delight
“The children expressed delight when they saw the pile of presents under the tree.”
verb + noun
02. squeal with delight
“The toddler squealed with delight as the puppy licked her face.”
verb + prep + noun
03. take delight in
“He takes great delight in pointing out other people's mistakes.”
verb + noun + prep
Adjective
04. obvious delight
“She watched her daughter's performance with obvious delight.”
adj + noun
05. sheer delight
“Watching the sunset over the ocean was a moment of sheer delight.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. source of delight
“The new community garden has become a constant source of delight for the neighborhood.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
07. in delight
“The crowd gasped in delight as the fireworks lit up the night sky.”
prep + noun
08. to the delight of
“To the delight of the fans, the band played three extra songs at the end of the concert.”
prep + noun + prep
Real-World Examples
“The delight of Townwear, a new low-key British label, is in its clever simplicity.” “Wrexham’s Kieffer Moore roars in delight after giving his side an early lead at Cardiff.” “What happens in the end will astonish and delight all readers – though it doesn’t faze the boy who always believed.” “And, when something unexpected happens on top of satisfaction, the customer becomes delighted.” Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
01. delight in
02. take delight in
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/delight
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0