joy Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the emotion of great happiness
    joyfulness; joyousness.
  2. noun something or someone that provides a source of happiness
    delight; pleasure.
    • a joy to behold
    • the pleasure of his company
    • the new car is a delight
  3. verb feel happiness or joy
    rejoice.
  4. verb make glad or happy
    gladden.

WordNet

Joy noun
Etymology
OE. joye, OF. joye, joie, goie, F. joie, L. gaudia, pl. of gaudium joy, fr. gaudere to rejoice, to be glad; cf. Gr. to rejoice, proud. Cf. Gaud, Jewel.
Definitions
  1. 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.
    Her heavenly form beheld, all wished her joy. Dryden.
    Glides the smooth current of domestic joy. Johnson.
    Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame. Heb. xii. 2.
    Tears of true joy for his return. Shak.
    Joy is a delight of the mind, from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good. Locke.
  2. That which causes joy or happiness.
    For ye are our glory and joy. 1 Thess. ii. 20.
    A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Keats.
  3. The sign or exhibition of joy; gayety; mirth; merriment; festivity.
    Such joy made Una, when her knight she found. Spenser.
    The roofs with joy resound. Dryden.
    ✍ Joy is used in composition, esp. with participles, to from many self-explaining compounds; as, joy-hells, joy-ringing, joy-inspiring, joy-resounding, etc. Syn. -- Gladness; pleasure; delight; happiness; exultation; transport; felicity; ecstasy; rapture; bliss; gayety; mirth; merriment; festivity; hilarity.
Joy intransitive verb
Etymology
OF. joir, F. jouir. See Joy, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Joyed ; present participle & verbal noun Joying
Definitions
  1. To rejoice; to be glad; to delight; to exult.
    I will joy in the God of my salvation. Hab. iii. 18.
    In whose sight all things joy. Milton.
Joy transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To give joy to; to congratulate. Obs. "Joy us of our conquest." Dryden.
    To joy the friend, or grapple with the foe. Prior.
  2. To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate. Obs.
    Neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits. Shak.
  3. To enjoy. Obs. See Enjoy.
    Who might have lived and joyed immortal bliss. Milton.

Webster 1913