delight
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /dəˈlaɪt/
ipa: /dɪˈlaɪt/
rhymes: -aɪt
Forms: form: delights
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 (“I lure, I 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.
Senses: examples: text: A fool hath no delight in understanding.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 18:2:
text: […] the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
ref: 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]:
text: 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.
ref: 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 122:
text: 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.
ref: 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
synonyms: word: delightedness
word: joy
word: blitheness
word: blithesomeness
word: cheerfulness
word: cheeriness
word: contentness
word: contentedness
word: delight
word: delightedness
word: elatedness
word: elation
word: exuberance
word: exuberantness
word: felicity
word: gaiety
word: gayness
word: gayfulness
word: gladness
word: gladsomeness
word: glee
word: gleefulness
word: gleesomeness
word: happiness
word: high spirits
word: hilarity
word: jolliness
word: jollity
word: joviality
word: jovialness
word: joy
word: joyfulness
word: joyousness
word: liss
word: merriment
word: merriness
word: mirth
word: mirthfulness
word: pleasedness
glosses: Joy; pleasure.
examples: text: Greensleeves was all my joy / Greensleeves was my delight, […]
ref: 1580, Greensleeves:
text: […] Awake
My fairest, my espous’d, my latest found,
Heav’ns last best gift, my ever new delight,
ref: 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:
glosses: Something that gives great joy or pleasure.
Synonyms: delection
Derived terms: afternoon delight
Buddha's delight
Cupid's delight
delightful
delightless
delightly
delightsome
devil's delight
duper's delight
duping delight
gardener's delight
Heart's Delight
idiot's delight
Idiot's Delight
lumps of delight
queen's delight
take delight in
Turkish delight
undelight
whaler's delight