delightful

adjective

de·​light·​ful di-ˈlīt-fəl 

dē-

: highly pleasing

a delightful surprise

enjoyed a delightful brunch

delightfully

di-ˈlīt-fə-lē 

dē-

adverb

delightfulness noun

Synonyms

• agreeable
• blessed
• blest
• congenial
• darling
• delectable
• delicious
• delightsome
• dreamy
• dulcet
• enjoyable
• felicitous
• good
• grateful
• gratifying
• heavenly
• jolly
• luscious
• nice
• palatable
• pleasant
• pleasing
• pleasurable
• pretty
• satisfying
• savory
• savoury
• sweet
• tasty
• welcome

Examples of delightful in a Sentence

It has been delightful meeting you.

That was a delightful party.

Recent Examples on the Web

To the east of Guadalupe, the Canton de Marie-Galante is an authentic island with beautiful beaches, delightful restaurants, wildland hikes, and some really terrific rum distilleries. —Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

From Paris to Hong Kong, the best places to go for Christmas around the world offer their own delightful twists on the holiday spirit—with plenty of familiar seasonal traditions like Christmas markets, ice skating, and glimmering trees to satisfy every nostalgic yuletide yearning. —Christina Pérez, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024

This delightful Cab has aromas and flavors of fennel frond, cigar box, cassis, cranberry, and a touch of sarsaparilla root in the finish. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2024

But the best story of all was Maryanne, and watching this delightful goofball evolve into a cutthroat champion was truly thrilling, lifting Survivor 42 into the mid-twenties. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see delight entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

delightful

adjective

de·​light·​ful di-ˈlīt-fəl 

: highly pleasing : giving delight

delightfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

delightfulness noun