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Joy
Definitions
- 1 Expressing appreciation and happiness. dated, often, sarcastic
"'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!'"
- 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!"
- 2 A surname.
- 1 A feeling of extreme happiness or cheerfulness, especially related to the acquisition or expectation of something good. countable, uncountable
"a child's joy on Christmas morning"
- 2 something or someone that provides a source of happiness wordnet
- 3 Anything that causes such a feeling. countable, uncountable
"the joys and demands of parenthood"
- 4 the emotion of great happiness wordnet
- 5 Luck or success; a positive outcome. countable, uncountable
"Grant had no joy with taking a nap, so he began to systematically feel if everything was working: fingers and toes, etc."
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- 6 The sign or exhibition of joy; gaiety; merriment; festivity. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Such ioy made Vna, when her knight she found;"
- 1 To feel joy, to rejoice. intransitive
"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"
- 2 make glad or happy wordnet
- 3 To enjoy. archaic, transitive
"I haue my wish, in that I ioy thy sight,"
- 4 feel happiness or joy wordnet
- 5 To give joy to; to congratulate. obsolete, transitive
"Then round our Death-bed ev'ry Friend ſhou'd run, / And joy us of our Conqueſt, early won: […]"
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- 6 To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate. obsolete, transitive
"Yet neither pleasure’s art can joy my spirits, Nor yet the other’s distance comfort me."
Etymology
The noun is 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. The interjection is from the noun. The verb is from Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French jöir, from the Old French noun (see above).
The noun is 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. The interjection is from the noun. The verb is from Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French jöir, from the Old French noun (see above).
The noun is 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. The interjection is from the noun. The verb is from Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French jöir, from the Old French noun (see above).
From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century.
See also for "joy"
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