n. 1. Great pleasure; joy: The proud parents' faces beamed with delight. 2. Something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment: The vacation was a delight for the whole family. v. de·light·ed, de·light·ing, de·lights v.intr. 1. To take great pleasure or joy: delights in taking long walks. 2. To give great pleasure or joy: an old movie that still delights. v.tr. [Middle English delit, from Old French, a pleasure, from delitier, to please, charm, from Latin dēlectāre : dē-, intensive pref.; see DE- + lactāre, frequentative of lacere, to entice.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.