Joy Meaning: Intense Happiness and Usage Examples

Meaning 1：intense happiness (joy)

joy 🔊

/dʒɔɪ/

A very strong feeling of great happiness and pleasure that comes from deep within.

intense happiness 🔊

➕

/ɪnˈtens ˈhæpinəs/

A very strong feeling of great happiness and pleasure that comes from deep within, often experienced in moments of pure contentment or delight.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'gaudia' (plural of 'gaudium' meaning joy), via Old French 'joie'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a toy that brings pure happiness: 'Joy' sounds like 'toy' with a 'j' — a toy that never breaks.

📖 Example

The children's faces were filled with joy as they ran into the garden to play after the rain stopped. 🔊 The children's faces were filled with joy as they ran into the garden to play after the rain stopped.

🔗 Collocations

burst with joy – to suddenly feel and express intense happiness

joy of life – a feeling of happiness and appreciation for being alive

sheer joy – pure and unadulterated happiness

🔄 Synonyms

happiness (n.) – The state of being happy, often a more general and lasting feeling than joy.

delight (n.) – Great pleasure or satisfaction, often from a specific source.

bliss (n.) – Extreme happiness, often considered spiritual or ecstatic.

🚫 Antonyms

sadness (n.) – A feeling of sorrow or unhappiness.

sorrow (n.) – Deep distress or grief.

misery (n.) – A state of great suffering or unhappiness.

🌱 Derivatives

joyful (adj.) – Feeling or expressing great happiness.

joyless (adj.) – Without joy; unhappy.

joyous (adj.) – Full of joy; very happy.

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Latin 'gaudium', joy entered English through Old French 'joie'. It has been a central emotion in literature and philosophy, often contrasted with mere happiness for its deeper, more lasting quality.