joy

Meanings

Noun

• A feeling of extreme happiness or cheerfulness, especially related to the acquisition or expectation of something good.
• Anything that causes such a feeling.
• Luck or success; a positive outcome.
• The sign or exhibition of joy; gaiety; merriment; festivity.

Verb

• To feel joy, to rejoice.
• To enjoy.
• To give joy to; to congratulate.
• To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate.

Related

Opposite words

• infelicity, joylessness, unhappiness, unjoy

Origin

• From Middle English joye, borrowed from Old French joie, from Late Latin gaudia, neuter plural (mistaken as feminine singular) of Latin gaudium ("joy"), from gaudēre. jo. Displaced native .
• From Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French jöir, from the noun (see above).