ENGLISH
REFERENCE

joy

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈdʒɔɪ// UK //dʒˈɔɪ// joy Archaic General-service

n. a feeling of great happiness or pleasure. You feel this when something wonderful happens or when you are with people you love.

n. a state of intense happiness or delight. Often used to describe the emotional response to a specific event or a general sense of well-being.


SIMPLE

The children's faces were full of joy on Christmas morning.

CONTEXTUAL

She felt a sudden surge of joy when she saw her old friend walking through the airport gates.

COMPLEX

The poet captures the fleeting nature of human joy, contrasting the brightness of a summer morning with the inevitable shadows of the coming evening.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the abstract emotion; countable when referring to a specific person or thing that causes the feeling.

Idioms3 entries

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