enjoyment

enjoyment — noun

1. the happy feeling you have when you do something you like or find interesting

1.nounA2
Definition

the happy feeling you have when you do something you like or find interesting

Example

The children smiled with real enjoyment as they played in the garden.

collocation: real / pure enjoyment

Salma gets a lot of enjoyment from reading books on long train trips.

collocation: get enjoyment from

Common collocations
  • sheer enjoyment
  • obvious enjoyment
  • real enjoyment
  • get enjoyment from
  • take enjoyment in
  • find enjoyment in
Synonyms
  • pleasure

    broader term covering any positive feeling, not limited to active participation

  • delight

    stronger and more sudden than enjoyment, often about a specific moment

  • satisfaction

    focuses on fulfillment after achieving something, rather than the active feeling during an activity

Antonyms
  • displeasure

    a feeling of being unhappy or annoyed with something

Usage Note

This sense is usually uncountable. Common verb + noun patterns include 'get enjoyment from/out of', 'take enjoyment in', and 'find enjoyment in'.

Common Mistakes

I felt enjoyment of the movie.
I enjoyed the movie.
the verb 'enjoy' sounds more natural for expressing that something gave you pleasure; 'enjoyment' as a noun is more commonly used in descriptions of the feeling itself.
The enjoyment of the children was big.
The children's enjoyment was clear.
use descriptive adjectives like 'great', 'clear', 'obvious', or 'pure' with 'enjoyment', not 'big' or 'small'.

2. an activity, experience, or thing that makes you feel happy or satisfied

2.nounB1
Definition

an activity, experience, or thing that makes you feel happy or satisfied

Example

Gardening is one of grandmother's greatest enjoyments since she stopped working at the shop.

countable noun: one of the greatest enjoyments

Simple enjoyments like walking in the park help Talia relax after work.

collocation: simple enjoyments

Common collocations
  • simple enjoyments
  • small enjoyments
  • greatest enjoyment
  • main enjoyment
  • one of the enjoyments of
Synonyms
  • pleasure

    can refer to a specific source of happiness in the same way, but is more general

  • pastime

    specifically an activity that you do regularly for enjoyment

  • delight

    stronger in tone, often implying a source of keen happiness

Antonyms
  • chore

    a duty or task that is unpleasant and brings no pleasure

Usage Note

In this sense, 'enjoyment' can be countable (e.g. 'one of my enjoyments is…') when referring to specific pleasurable activities or things. As an uncountable noun, it describes the general concept of pleasurable activities.

Common Mistakes

Walking is my enjoyment.
Walking is one of my enjoyments.' or 'Walking is a source of enjoyment for me.
when naming a specific activity that brings pleasure, use the countable form or rephrase with 'source of enjoyment.'

3. the right granted by law to use property or receive its benefits as the owner

3.nounC1
Definition

the right granted by law to use property or receive its benefits as the owner

Example

The new law protects the public's enjoyment of the city parks and gardens.

legal context: enjoyment of [public resources]

Under the will, the widow has the enjoyment of the house for life.

Common collocations
  • quiet enjoyment
  • full enjoyment
  • enjoyment of rights
  • enjoyment of property
  • for the enjoyment of
Synonyms
  • use

    simpler, non-legal term for the right to make use of something

  • possession

    focuses on ownership or control rather than the right to benefit from use

Antonyms
  • dispossession

    the act of taking away someone's property or right to use it

Usage Note

Frequently appears in formal and legal texts, especially in the phrase 'quiet enjoyment' (the right of a tenant to use property without interference). The subject is usually a person or entity with a legal interest in the property, and the object is typically a type of asset (land, property, rights, benefits).

Common Mistakes

I have the enjoyment of a car.
I have the use of a car.
'enjoyment' in the legal sense refers to rights over property or assets, not everyday objects you borrow or use casually.
The children had enjoyment of the playground.
The children enjoyed the playground.
for non-legal, everyday contexts, use the verb 'enjoy' instead of 'enjoyment' in this sense.

Word family

  • enjoy
    verbA1
  • enjoyable
    adjectiveA2
  • enjoyably
    adverbB1
  • unenjoyable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Enjoyment, pleasure, delight, satisfaction, and fun all describe positive feelings but differ in intensity and focus. Enjoyment is the active, ongoing feeling you get while doing something you like — it is closely tied to the activity itself. Pleasure is broader and covers any pleasant feeling, whether physical, emotional, or intellectual; you can take pleasure in a memory without actively doing anything. Delight is stronger and more sudden — it suggests a burst of joy, like the delight of seeing an old friend unexpectedly. Satisfaction focuses on a sense of achievement or fulfillment after completing something, such as the satisfaction of finishing a difficult puzzle. Fun is more informal and social, describing light-hearted, playful enjoyment. For example: 'Salma gets enjoyment from reading' describes her feeling during the activity. 'Salma gets pleasure from reading' sounds slightly more general. If you say 'reading gives her great satisfaction,' the focus shifts to a sense of accomplishment. And 'reading is fun' is the most casual and playful.

pleasure ↗delight ↗satisfaction ↗fun ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • with enjoyment
  • for the enjoyment of
  • source of enjoyment

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The noun 'enjoyment' comes from the verb 'enjoy', which entered English from Old French 'enjoier' meaning 'to give joy' or 'to rejoice'. The French verb was formed from 'en-' (a prefix meaning 'cause to be') and 'joie' ('joy'), which traces back to Latin 'gaudium' ('joy, delight'). The noun 'enjoyment' first appeared in English in the 1500s, initially referring to the legal right to use property, and later broadened to include the general feeling of pleasure.