What does "delight" mean?
Joy; pleasure.
Delight
/dəˈlaɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Joy; pleasure.
- Grammar: delight is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: joy, pleasure, a thing for, admiration.
- Useful contrasts: aesthetic disgust, annoying, cloying.
- Usage evidence: Censorious people delight in casting blame.
How to use "delight"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "delight" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "delight" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "delight" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "delight" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "delight" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "joy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "delight", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Joy; pleasure. countable, uncountable
"A fool hath no delight in understanding."
- 2 something or someone that provides a source of happiness wordnet
- 3 Something that gives great joy or pleasure. countable, uncountable
"Greensleeves was all my joy / Greensleeves was my delight, […]"
- 4 a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction wordnet
Verb
- 1 To give delight to; to affect with great pleasure; to please highly.
"Delight our souls with talk of knightly deeds."
- 2 take delight in wordnet
- 3 To have or take great pleasure. intransitive
"A ſclaunderous tunge, a tunge of a ſkolde, Worketh more miſchiefe than can be tolde; That, if I wiſt not to be controlde, Yet ſomwhat to ſay I dare well be bolde,"
- 4 give pleasure to or be pleasing to wordnet
- 5 hold spellbound wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Censorious people delight in casting blame."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "delight"?
Common synonyms include: joy, pleasure, a thing for, admiration, adore, adores.
How do you use "delight" in a sentence?
Censorious people delight in casting blame.
How do you pronounce "delight"?
Pronounced /dəˈlaɪt/.
Etymology
Attested from the 13th century, from Middle English delite, from Old French deleiter, deliter, from Latin dēlectāre (“to delight, please”), frequentative of dēlicere (“to allure, entice”), from dē- (“away”) + laciō (“I lure, I deceive”), from Proto-Italic *lakjō (“to draw, pull”), of unknown ultimate origin. Doublet of delect. Related with delectation, delicate, delicious and dilettante. The modern unetymological spelling (instead of expected delite) is influenced by light and other words ending in -ight, such as might, bright, etc. The -gh- may also be an attempt to represent the Latin -c-; compare obsolete indight for indict.