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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The embroidery on a napkin, the rim of a cup, the scalloping of a plate all delight and surprise. Ian Malone, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2024 The trio discusses with Mescal what a delight it’s been discovering how laid-back he is compared with other actors who have hosted. Amanda Wicks, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
But in Beverly Hills, the institutions still endure and keep finding new ways to delight their guests. Andy Wang, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 From classic comfort food to gourmet delights, these local restaurants are offering mouthwatering to-go meals that'll make your holiday season a whole lot easier (and tastier). Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for delight 

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 24 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!