afternoon delight
1
6.3
- noun
- /ˌæf.tɚˈnuːn dɪˈlaɪt/
- Informal
:
delicia de la tarde
- The kids were excited for their afternoon delight, which included ice cream and funny cartoons before dinner.
Examples
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He often looks forward to his afternoon delight of reading a good book at the park while sipping his favorite coffee.
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A long walk by the river was their favorite afternoon delight.
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She considered a nap in the hammock the perfect afternoon delight.
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We met at the café for an afternoon delight of scones and tea.
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We enjoyed an afternoon delight at the café.
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Her favorite afternoon delight is a slice of cake.
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After finishing her work, she treated herself to some afternoon delight by enjoying a slice of cake and a cup of tea in the garden.
Synonyms
398
1.0
Something special and enjoyable like ice cream or a nice outing
184
1.2
A thing or feeling that gives great pleasure
17
2.1
Something you enjoy very much
1
1.6
A small snack in the afternoon like tea and cookies
How Pleasant
Surface Forms
Morphology
The words 'afternoon' + 'delight' transparently signal a pleasurable event occurring in the afternoon, so a B1 learner would likely infer some enjoyable or pleasant afternoon occurrence. However, the specific slang sense 'a brief sexual encounter' is an idiomatic, euphemistic extension that is culturally marked and not directly predictable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Afternoon delight shows a simple picture: the afternoon is a quiet time and a small delight, like tea and cake or a short walk, so it means 'a pleasant treat or leisure activity in the afternoon'.