joy
/dʒɔɪ/
A vivid, high-energy emotion of great pleasure and happiness. Unlike "contentment," which is a quiet state of satisfaction, joy is often an active, overflowing experience that can be sudden or enduring.
It carries a powerful positive connotation, often associated with spiritual fulfillment, deep love, or the achievement of a long-held dream. It is more intense than "happiness" and often feels like a peak emotional experience rather than a baseline mood.
In modern usage, it is frequently used to describe both an internal feeling (the joy of discovery) and the source of that feeling (the children are a joy to be around).
Uncountable when describing the general emotion of happiness ('Her heart was filled with joy'). Countable when referring to a specific person, object, or event that causes happiness ('The new baby is a joy to the whole family').
💬Casual Conversation
This budget reconciliation is bringing me zero joy, Mark.
This budget reconciliation is bringing me zero joy, Mark.
Yeah, totally get it. Just gotta ride it out, I guess.
Yeah, totally get it. Just gotta ride it out, I guess.