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delight

delight

184 1.2
A thing or feeling that gives great pleasure
  • noun
  • /dɪˈlaɪt/
translation icon : placer
  • What a delight to see all of our wonderful wives and their happy, happy husbands.
  • take delight
  • joy and delight
  • surprise and delight

He was a delight to hang out with.

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Examples

  • The surprise party was a delight for everyone who attended.

  • But Josh and I, to my surprise and delight, stay close.

  • This book has been such a delight for me.

  • It's an absolute delight, smooth, great to look at.

  • An angel of pure delight.

  • Anouk shared the delight her grandfather found in listening to her play the piano.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Lifting the curtain, I saw, to my delight, a cup of steaming coffee sitting there.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Many amateur mystery series have thrived for numerous episodes, to the delight of their fans.

    Academic text (2008)
  • One donor, a father-in-law, expressed his delight in the marked improvement in the recipient's quality of life.

    Academic text (2008)
  • In Filostrato's case, therefore, delight or pleasure, mere parts, cannot constitute the sum of happiness.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

pleasure
vsdelight
1.0

A feeling of enjoyment or happiness from something

is the same idea but emphasizes greater intensity of joy
happiness
vsdelight
970 1.0

A feeling of pleasure and being satisfied

focuses more on a notable or strong pleasure moment rather than a lasting state
joy
vsdelight
793 1.0

A strong feeling of great happiness

is similar but often points to a particularly great or notable pleasure
bliss
vsdelight
78 3.2

A complete feeling of great happiness and peace

is like this but usually refers to very notable joy not total perfection
enjoyment
vsdelight
73 1.0

The feeling of pleasure you get from something

is broader, naming especially a high degree of pleasure rather than simple satisfaction
glee
vsdelight
34 1.0

A strong feeling of happiness and excitement

is less about outward merriment and more about strong pleasing feeling itself
elation
vsdelight
18 5.5

A very happy and excited feeling after a big success

is more about pure pleasing feeling than uplift mixed with pride
exhilaration
vsdelight
17 5.8

A strong, happy feeling of excitement

is calmer, focusing on great pleasure without strong energetic excitement
gladness
vsdelight
9 1.0

A feeling of being happy and pleased

expresses stronger or more notable pleasure rather than gentle, plain joy
enchantment
vsdelight
8 6.5

A feeling of great wonder and pleasure as if under a magic spell

is similar but without the sense of being enchanted or spellbound
delectation
vsdelight
  • Literature
1 9.0

A great pleasure you feel when you enjoy something

is similar but covers great pleasure more generally rather than intense enjoyment
pure bliss
vsdelight
1 3.7

A feeling of complete happiness

is close but tends to mean notable great pleasure rather than absolute perfection
2.8

A very strong feeling of deep happiness

is similar yet usually names a strong pleasing moment rather than total overwhelm

Antonyms

28 3.9

A feeling of being annoyed or not happy about something

Idioms

Something that causes someone great pleasure

Compounds

1 9.9

A short meeting to have sex in the afternoon

A soft sweet candy made from jelly, often flavored with rose or lemon and dusted with sugar

A very tasty dish that people enjoy eating

1 6.3

A small pleasant treat or activity you enjoy in the afternoon

A cottage garden plant with white woolly leaves and bright red flowers grown for decoration

How Pleasant

ecstasy
57 6.1
joy
793 1.0
delight
184 1.2
pleasure
1.0
satisfaction
192 2.2

Surface Forms

delight singular
delights plural

Etymology

Delight as a noun comes from the Latin delectare, meaning 'to please'. A delight is something that gives you great pleasure, and that is exactly what the original word described.