joy

The word “joy” means a feeling of great happiness or delight. In plain terms, deep happiness or delight, or something/someone that causes it.

“Joy” is pronounced joy (/d͡ʒɔɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “joy” used in a sentence: “Her face lit up with joy when she saw the surprise party.”

Depending on how it is used, “joy” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “joy” comes from Latin. From Old French joie, from Latin gaudium ("joy"), from gaudēre ("to rejoice, be glad").

“Joy” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Joy” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a feeling of great happiness or delight.

Happiness is often a response to pleasant circumstances and can come and go with them. Joy tends to run deeper and feel more lasting, a strong sense of delight that does not always depend on what is happening around you. The two are close, which is why they are so often used interchangeably.

The opposites of joy are feelings such as sorrow, grief, and misery. Where joy is a surge of happiness and delight, these describe deep sadness or unhappiness. Milder opposites include gloom and dejection. The right choice depends on how intense the contrasting feeling is meant to be.

Yes. Joy is widely regarded as one of the basic human emotions, marked by a strong feeling of happiness, pleasure, and delight. It often shows outwardly through smiling, laughter, and a sense of lightness. Unlike a passing mood, joy can be intense and deeply felt, whether sparked by an event or welling up on its own.