delight en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /dɪˈlaɪt/
- (US) audio
- /dəˈlaɪt/
Etymology
Attested from the 13th century, from Middle English delite, from Old French deleiter, deliter, from Latin dēlectāre (“to delight, please”), frequentative of dēlicere (“to allure, entice”), from dē- (“away”) + laciō (“to lure, to deceive”), from Proto-Italic *lakjō (“to draw, pull”), of unknown ultimate origin. Doublet of delect. Related with delectation, delicate, delicious and dilettante. The modern unetymological spelling (instead of expected delite) is influenced by light and other words ending in -ight, such as might, bright, etc. The -gh- may also be an attempt to represent the Latin -c-; compare obsolete indight for indict.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) Joy; pleasure.
Gay as a flutter of butterflies and light as a zephyr, these dainty fabrics instantly suggest a wardrobe of sheer delight.
1901, Country Life, volume 40, number July, page 2:[…] the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:At any other time Jessamy would have laughed at the expressions that chased each other over his freckled face: crossness left over from his struggle with the baby; incredulity; distress; and finally delight.
1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 122:From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:A fool hath no delight in understanding.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 18:2:
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(countable, uncountable) Something that gives great joy or pleasure.
[…] Awake My fairest, my espous’d, my latest found, Heav’ns last best gift, my ever new delight,
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 17-19:Greensleeves was all my joy / Greensleeves was my delight, […]
1580, Greensleeves:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| delights | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
traveler's delight · duping delight · undelight · delightly · delightless · afternoon delight · take delight in · gardener's delight · Heart's Delight · whaler's delight · delightful · Idiot's Delight · lumps of delight · Turkish delight · delightsome · devil's delight · Cupid's delight · idiot's delight · queen's delight · Buddha's delight · duper's delight
Synonyms
exuberantness · gleefulness · merriment · cheeriness · delight · blithesomeness · delightedness · glee · mirthfulness · joyfulness · blitheness · elatedness · exuberance · gladness · pleasedness · hilarity · contentness · delightedness · delection · gleesomeness · joy · glee · jolliness · liss · gayness · high spirits · jollity · joviality · mirth · gaiety · elation · joyousness · gladsomeness · felicity · contentedness · gayfulness · merriness · cheerfulness · happiness · jovialness · joy
Translations (110)
hi आनंद (joy, pleasure) · ro plăcere (joy, pleasure) · txb plānto (joy, pleasure) · it piacere (joy, pleasure) · sh срећа (joy, pleasure) · es gozo (joy, pleasure) · fr joie (joy, pleasure) · tl lugod (joy, pleasure) · hy հրճվանք (joy, pleasure) · hu boldogság (joy, pleasure) · uk розкошува́ння (joy, pleasure) · es delectación (joy, pleasure) · tl tuwa (joy, pleasure) · cs požitek (joy, pleasure) · ro juisare (joy, pleasure) · es deleitación (joy, pleasure) · sh sreća (joy, pleasure) · grc τέρψις (joy, pleasure) · mi harikoa (joy, pleasure) · zdj mdjipvio (joy, pleasure) · uk насоло́да (joy, pleasure) · uk задово́лення (joy, pleasure) · be захапле́нне (joy, pleasure) · hi आह्लाद (joy, pleasure) · ca plaer (joy, pleasure) · be задавальне́нне (joy, pleasure) · ar فُرْجَة (joy, pleasure) · de Freude (joy, pleasure) · pl rozkosz (joy, pleasure) · tl ligaya (joy, pleasure) · pl zachwyt (joy, pleasure) · uk уті́ха (joy, pleasure) · tl galak (joy, pleasure) · ang wynn (joy, pleasure) · eo delico (joy, pleasure) · uk за́хват (joy, pleasure) · sk rozkoš (joy, pleasure) · bg удово́лствие (joy, pleasure) · fi ilo (joy, pleasure) · ro desfătare (joy, pleasure) · gl ledicia (joy, pleasure) · el χαρά (joy, pleasure) · fr plaisir (joy, pleasure) · ko 기쁨 (joy, pleasure) · de Wohlgefallen (joy, pleasure) · uk захо́плення (joy, pleasure) · be асало́да (joy, pleasure) · hy հիացմունք (joy, pleasure) · kk ләззат (joy, pleasure) · ca delit (joy, pleasure) · tr neşe (joy, pleasure) · es deleite (joy, pleasure) · pl radość (joy, pleasure) · hu élvezet (joy, pleasure) · uk приє́мність (joy, pleasure) · tl kasiyahan (thing that gives pleasure) · es regocijo (joy, pleasure) · ur خوش (joy, pleasure) · tr sevinç (joy, pleasure) · be прые́мнасць (joy, pleasure) · sk potešenie (joy, pleasure) · de Lust (joy, pleasure) · cmn 樂趣 /乐趣 (joy, pleasure) · ko 즐거움 (joy, pleasure) · th สุข (joy, pleasure) · la gaudium (thing that gives pleasure) · fa خرسندی (joy, pleasure) · it delizia (joy, pleasure) · gd sogan (joy, pleasure) · pt deleite (joy, pleasure) · ro deliciu (joy, pleasure) · hi प्रसन्नता (joy, pleasure) · sq ëndje (joy, pleasure) · ru удово́льствие (joy, pleasure) · sa चनस् (joy, pleasure) · nl plezier (joy, pleasure) · fr délice (joy, pleasure) · ru наслажде́ние (joy, pleasure) · ja 喜び (joy, pleasure) · eo agrablaĵo (thing that gives pleasure) · ru восто́рг (joy, pleasure) · be уце́ха (joy, pleasure) · grc χάρμα (thing that gives pleasure) · es placer (joy, pleasure) · la frūctus (joy, pleasure) · mk задоволство (joy, pleasure) · de Entzückung (joy, pleasure) · mi manahau (joy, pleasure) · es delicia (joy, pleasure) · pl przyjemność (joy, pleasure) · sk pôžitok (joy, pleasure) · uga 𐎐𐎓𐎎𐎚 (joy, pleasure) · bg насла́да (joy, pleasure) · txb yāso (joy, pleasure) · sa सुख (joy, pleasure) · kk қызық (joy, pleasure) · tr mutluluk (joy, pleasure) · mi hurō (joy, pleasure) · nl vreugde (joy, pleasure) · hy ցնծություն (joy, pleasure) · vi niềm vui (joy, pleasure) · bn আমোদ (joy, pleasure) · io delekteso (joy, pleasure) · la gaudium (joy, pleasure) · hi सुख (joy, pleasure) · hi हर्ष (joy, pleasure) · hi ख़ुशी (joy, pleasure) · cs potěšení (joy, pleasure) · cs rozkoš (joy, pleasure) · hu öröm (joy, pleasure)