enjoy

[en-joi] /ɛnˈdʒɔɪ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to experience with joy; take pleasure in:
He enjoys Chinese food.
2.
to have and use with satisfaction; have the benefit of:
He enjoys an excellent income from his trust funds.
3.
to find or experience pleasure for (oneself):
She seems to enjoy herself at everything she does.
4.
to undergo (an improvement):
Automobile manufacturers have enjoyed a six-percent rise in sales over the past month.
5.
to have intercourse with.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English enjoyen to make joyful < Old French enjoier to give joy to. See en-1, joy
Related forms
enjoyer, noun
enjoyingly, adverb
preenjoy, verb (used with object)
reenjoy, verb (used with object)
unenjoyed, adjective
unenjoying, adjective
unenjoyingly, adverb
Synonyms
1. appreciate, fancy, relish, savor. 2. possess, own.
Examples from the web for enjoy
  • Nor had he any mind of marriage, or to enjoy the benefit of children, wherein many did repute him the wiser.
  • Take a short hike to enjoy the view and Bhutan's magnificent forests.
  • Travelers on a budget can still enjoy the Danish capital.
  • Passengers enjoy inflight phones.
  • In this counting tale, kindergartners enjoy spring.
  • You will enjoy yourself and your companions more.
  • I've always had a penchant for physics and simply enjoy understanding .
  • Have a great day, and enjoy the beauty of life's journey..
  • People are pretty bad at predicting how much they will enjoy future experiences, which tends to lead to disappointment.
  • And the students seemed to enjoy the experience, too.
British Dictionary definitions for enjoy

enjoy

/ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/
verb (transitive)
1.
to receive pleasure from; take joy in
2.
to have the benefit of; use with satisfaction
3.
to have as a condition; experience: the land enjoyed a summer of rain
4.
(archaic) to have sexual intercourse with
5.
enjoy oneself, to have a good time
Derived Forms
enjoyable, adjective
enjoyableness, noun
enjoyably, adverb
enjoyer, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Old French enjoir, from en-1 + joir to find pleasure in, from Latin gaudēre to rejoice
Word Origin and History for enjoy
v.

late 14c., "rejoice, be glad" (intransitive), from Old French enjoir "to give joy, rejoice, take delight in," from en- "make" (see en- (1)) + joir "enjoy," from Latin gaudere "rejoice" (see joy); Sense of "have the use or benefit of" first recorded early 15c. (replacing Old English brucan; see brook (v.)).

Meaning "take pleasure in" is mid-15c. In modern use it has a tendency to lose its connection with pleasure: newspaper photo captions say someone enjoys an ice cream cone, etc., when all she is doing is eating it, and Wright's "English Dialect Dictionary" (1900) reports widespread use in north and west England of the phrase to enjoy bad health for one who has ailments. Related: Enjoyed; enjoying; enjoys.

Slang definitions & phrases for enjoy

enjoy

interjection

An exhortation to be happy, to enjoy oneself: Go. Read. Enjoy. It couldn't hurt/ The trooper grinned. ''Enjoy,'' he said, and walked on toward the cruiser

[1980s+; fr a Yiddish speech pattern, recorded but not approved by Leo Rosten]