joy

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See also: Joy

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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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).

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: joi, IPA(key): /d͡ʒɔɪ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Noun

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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.
  2. Anything that causes such a feeling.
    the joys and demands of parenthood
  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.

Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Terms derived from joy

Descendants

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  • Krio: jɔy

Translations

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Interjection

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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."

Verb

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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[2], 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,[3]
      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.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To give joy to; to congratulate.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate.

Uzbek

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Persian جای (jây).

Noun

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joy (plural joylar)

  1. place

Derived terms

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