joy

English

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joy

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• enPR: joi, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɔɪ/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Etymology 1

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 (“to be glad, rejoice”). Doublet of jo and gaudy (“Oxford college reunion”). Displaced native Old English ġefēa.

Noun

joy (countable and uncountable, plural joys)

1. A feeling of extreme happiness or cheerfulness, especially related to the acquisition or expectation of something good.

   a child's joy on Christmas morning

   They will be a source of strength and joy in your life.

   • 1620, Giovanni Bocaccio, translated by John Florio, The Decameron, Containing an Hundred Pleaſant Nouels: Wittily Diſcourſed, Betweene Seuen Honourable Ladies, and Three Noble Gentlemen‎, Isaac Iaggard, Nouell 8, The Eighth Day:

     […] purſued his vnneighbourly purpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.

2. Anything that causes such a feeling.

   the joys and demands of parenthood

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 2:20:

     For, ye are our glory and ioy.

   • 1818, John Keats, “Book I”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: for Taylor and Hessey, , →OCLC, page 1:

     A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

3. Luck or success; a positive outcome.
   • 2012, Colin Owen, Colin's Shorts, volume 2, page 65:

     Grant had no joy with taking a nap, so he began to systematically feel if everything was working: fingers and toes, etc.

   • 2012, Robert Stansbridge, Bia's Wedding, page 4:

     'Rob? It's Gary. Are you having any joy with this trip to Bali?' 'No joy at all, mate. I reckon Bali's out for the foreseeable future. […]

4. (obsolete) The sign or exhibition of joy; gaiety; merriment; festivity.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 32:

     Such ioy made Vna, when her knight she found;

   • 1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:

     The roofs with joy resound.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "feeling of happiness"): infelicity, joylessness, unhappiness, unjoy

Derived terms

Descendants

• Krio: jɔy

Translations

Interjection

joy

1. (dated, often sarcastic) Expressing appreciation and happiness.

   Synonyms: hurrah; see also Thesaurus:yay

   • 1842, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Lily’s Quest”, in Twice-Told Tales, volume II, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 306:

     'Joy! joy!' he cried, throwing his arms towards Heaven, 'on a grave be the site of our Temple; and now our happiness is for Eternity!'

   • 1983, Gregory Mcdonald, Fletch and the Man Who, New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN, page 56:

     Hanrahan closed his mouth, tried unsuccessfully to breathe through his nose, then opened his mouth again. "Oh, joy," he muttered. "This kid doesn't even go to the bathroom, I bet. Probably been taught not to. It isn't nice."

Etymology 2

From Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French jöir, from the noun (see above).

Verb

joy (third-person singular simple present joys, present participle joying, simple past and past participle joyed)

1. (intransitive) To feel joy, to rejoice.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter IX, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVII:

     for oftymes or this oure lord shewed hym vnto good men and vnto good knyghtes in lykenes of an herte But I suppose from hens forth ye shalle see no more / and thenne they Ioyed moche / and dwelled ther alle that day / And vpon the morowe whan they had herde masse / they departed and commaunded the good man to god

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1829, Walter Scott, chapter 8, in Anne of Geierstein‎, volume 3, Edinburgh: Cadell, page 222:

     I joy to see you wear around your neck the holy relic I bestowed on you;—but what Moorish charmlet is that you wear beside it?

   • 1885, Richard Francis Burton (translator), The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 18, “Tale of the Portress,” p. 178,

     I swore readily enough to this and he joyed with exceeding joy and embraced me round the neck while love for him possessed my whole heart.

2. (transitive, archaic) To enjoy.
   • 1594 (first publication), Christopher Marlow[e], The Trovblesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edvvard the Second, King of England: , London: for Henry Bell, , published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     I haue my wish, in that I ioy thy sight,

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 5:

     For from the time that Scudamour her bought,
     In perilous fight, she neuer ioyed day […] .

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book ”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC, lines 1164-1168:

     Is this the Love, is this the recompence
     Of mine to thee, ingrateful Eve, exprest
     Immutable when thou wert lost, not I,
     Who might have liv’d and joyd immortal bliss,
     Yet willingly chose rather Death with thee:

3. (transitive, obsolete) To give joy to; to congratulate.
   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC, book III, page 88:

     Then round our Death-bed ev'ry Friend ſhou'd run, / And joy us of our Conqueſt, early won: […]

   • 1709, Mat[thew] Prior, “(please specify the poem)”, in Poems on Several Occasions, 2nd edition, London: Jacob Tonson , →OCLC, page 405:

     Evil like Us they shun, and covet Good;
     Abhor the Poison, and receive the Food.
     Like Us they love or hate: like Us they know,
     To joy the Friend, or grapple with the Foe.

4. (transitive, obsolete) To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate.
   • c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. , London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon,  , published 1609, →OCLC, [Act I, scene 2]:

     Yet neither pleasure’s art can joy my spirits,
     Nor yet the other’s distance comfort me.

Uzbek

Etymology

From Persian جای (jây).

Noun

joy (plural joylar)

1. place

Derived terms

• joylashmoq