delight

[dih-lahyt]

noun

1. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture.

   She takes great delight in her job.

   Synonyms: delectation, transport
   Antonyms: distress

2. something that gives great pleasure.

   The dance was a delight to see.

   Antonyms: disappointment

verb (used with object)

1. to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; please highly.

   The show delighted everyone.

   Synonyms: enrapture, charm

verb (used without object)

1. to have great pleasure; take pleasure (followed by in or an infinitive).

   She delights in going for long walks in the country.

delight

/ dɪˈlaɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to please greatly

2. to take great pleasure (in)

noun

1. extreme pleasure or satisfaction; joy

2. something that causes this

   music was always his delight

Other Word Forms

• delighter noun
• delightingly adverb
• delightless adjective
• self-delight noun
• undelighting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of delight¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; (verb) respelling, after light ¹, of earlier delite, Middle English deliten, from Anglo-French deliter, Old French delitier, from Latin delectāre ( delectable ); (noun) respelling (as above) of Middle English delit, from Anglo-French, Old French, derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of delight¹

C13: from Old French delit, from deleitier to please, from Latin dēlectāre, from dēlicere to allure, from _de- + lacere to entice; see _delicious ; English spelling influenced by light

Synonym Study

See pleasure.

Example Sentences

But for us, our shared delight, laughter and gratitude are enough.

From Los Angeles Times

Mike Cotton, creative director of producers Studio Lambert, said it was "a delight to welcome some new households to the Gogglebox family".

From BBC

She said six years ago she was "delighted" and "insanely excited" to be making Amazon her creative home.

From BBC

Merope Mills said she was delighted more people were going to get access to the rule.

From BBC

Her delighted scrolling through a thicket of ads on a clickbait article on a tip Brad Pitt left someone is a little comic gem.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amuse 
• attract 
• charm 
• cheer 
• enchant 
• enrapture 
• entertain 
• fascinate 
• gratify 
• please 
• rejoice 
• satisfy 
• thrill 
• wow