delight

1 of 2

noun

de·​light di-ˈlīt How to pronounce delight (audio)
dē-
1
: a high degree of gratification or pleasure : joy
children squealing in delight
also : extreme satisfaction
seems to take delight in the misfortunes of others
2
: something that gives great pleasure
her performance was a delight
3
archaic : the power of affording pleasure
of more delight than hawks or horses beShakespeare

delight

2 of 2

verb

delighted; delighting; delights

intransitive verb

1
: to take great pleasure
delighted in playing the guitar
2
: to give keen enjoyment
a book certain to delight

transitive verb

: to give joy or satisfaction to
Her books delight readers of all ages.
delighter noun

Examples of delight in a Sentence

Noun We watched the fireworks with delight. The kids screamed in delight as they chased one another around the park. To the delight of the children, there were enough cookies for everyone to have two. Some people seem to take great delight in hearing about the misfortunes of others. The trip was a delight. a garden full of tasty delights The magazine is a cook's delight. The stories are a delight to read. Verb The toy delighted the children. The stories will delight readers of all ages.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The moderately challenging loop is beautiful at any time of year, but going during the springtime — especially after winter rains — is a genuine delight. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Hearing puppet Tyrion and Ned Stark quip about the coming of winter and rolling heads is a delight reserved for caregivers in the audience, Graham said. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 And The Razzy Goes To and watch these cinematic delights that are being served up for you by these great historical film preservationists. Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 Oles fielded calls from election aides the Friday before the primary with delight. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 Hosts Mike Florio and Chris Simms expressed their delight for the superstar’s kindness. Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 The Grasshopper Found at The Corner Office at The Curtis in Denver, this cocktail is made with Crème de menthe, crème de cacao and cream come together for a green minty delight. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Their clashes, a mix of hostility and affection, spite and delight, always felt well-matched. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Say goodbye to expensive bottled water, too, as every faucet in the hotel has Triple Clear Water filters – drink from the tap to your heart’s delight. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Its fantastical re-creations of Victorian London, Lisbon, Alexandria and Paris meshed with the progression of lead character Bella Baxter’s journey, informing and delighting each step of the way. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Omega, Zenith, Grand Seiko More and more, brands aren’t waiting for a big trade show to delight and surprise us with a new release. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 And the colorful reversible style will delight design-minded littles. Casey Clark, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 The Delaware shoreline delights with mechanical cleaning three times a week to maintain the real postcard image of the Atlantic Shoreline. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Fans might think Ohtani’s choice to stay in California would delight state officials, but that is not the case. K. Lloyd Billingsley, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Where a lesser restaurant might call good enough good enough, Main and company fastidiously experiment and, fittingly, tinker with every dish until it's meticulously crafted to delight. Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 Several bridges crisscrossing Lick Creek will delight the kids and a playground on the path makes for a good rest stop for parents. Jen Guadarrama, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Mar. 2024 For generations, its window frames had slanted sideways and its walls seemed to tilt at a near gravity-defying angle, delighting both patrons and passers-by. Megan Specia, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English deliten, from Anglo-French deliter, from Latin delectare, frequentative of delicere to allure, from de- + lacere to allure

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of delight was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near delight

Cite this Entry

“Delight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delight. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

delight

1 of 2 noun
de·​light di-ˈlīt How to pronounce delight (audio)
1
: extreme pleasure or satisfaction : joy
2
: something that gives great pleasure

delight

2 of 2 verb
1
: to take great pleasure
delighted in playing guitar
2
: to give joy or satisfaction to : please greatly
a book sure to delight

More from Merriam-Webster on delight

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