joy

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
   • It is his joy to walk in the rain.

   Synonyms:

   elation, glee, blitheness, blithesomeness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, contentness, contentedness, delight, delightedness

   Antonyms:

   infelicity, joylessness, unhappiness, unjoy, blueness, tristesse, mirthless, blues, crestfallenness, dejection

2. Anything that causes such a feeling.
   • the joys and demands of parenthood
   • For, ye are our glory and ioy.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 2:20
3. Luck or success; a positive outcome.
   • Grant had no joy with taking a nap, so he began to systematically feel if everything was working: fingers and toes, etc.2012, Colin Owen, Colin's Shorts, volume 2, page 65
   • '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. […]2012, Robert Stansbridge, Bia's Wedding, page 4
4. (obsolete) The sign or exhibition of joy; gaiety; merriment; festivity.
   • Such ioy made Vna, when her knight she found;1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 32
   • The roofs with joy resound.1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

Interjection

1. (dated, often, sarcastic) Expressing appreciation and happiness.
   • '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!'1842, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Lily’s Quest”, in Twice-Told Tales, volume II, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 306
   • 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."1983, Gregory Mcdonald, Fletch and the Man Who, New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN, page 56

   Synonyms:

   hurrah, aah, alright, 'ave it, aww yeah, boo-ya, booyah, cowabunga, get in, hoo

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) To feel joy, to rejoice.
   • 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...1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter IX, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVII
   • 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?1829, Walter Scott, chapter 8, in Anne of Geierstein, volume 3, Edinburgh: Cadell, page 222
2. (archaic, transitive) To enjoy.
   • I haue my wish, in that I ioy thy sight,1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC...
   • For from the time that Scudamour her bought,
     In perilous fight, she neuer ioyed day […].1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 5
3. (obsolete, transitive) To give joy to; to congratulate.
   • Then round our Death-bed ev'ry Friend ſhou'd run, / And joy us of our Conqueſt, early won: […]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
   • 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.1709, Mat[thew] Prior, “(please specify the chapter or poem)”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 405
4. (obsolete, transitive) To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate.
   • Yet neither pleasure’s art can joy my spirits,
     Nor yet the other’s distance comfort me.c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry...

Proper noun capitalized: Joy

Joy

1. A female given name from English.
   • "I have no name: / I am but two days old." / What shall I call thee? / "I happy am, / Joy is my name." / Sweet joy befall thee!1789, William Blake, Infant Joy
   • She was named Muriel — after the rather peculiar name of John's mother. Her own mother would have it so; only wishing out of her full heart, happy one! that there should be a slight alteration made in the second name. Therefore the baby was called Muriel Joy — Muriel Joy Halifax.1857, Dinah Craik, John Halifax, Gentleman, Chapter XXI
2. A surname.