overjoy
C1Formal / Literary / Elevated
Definition
Meaning
To cause someone to feel an extremely intense degree of happiness and delight.
To fill someone with an overwhelming, often emotionally profound, sense of joy or elation, to the point of great satisfaction or relief.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in the passive form 'overjoyed' as a participial adjective. The active verb form ('to overjoy someone') is rare, formal, and somewhat archaic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage or meaning. Both varieties use it predominantly in the adjective form 'overjoyed'.
Connotations
Slightly more common in formal British prose; equally formal in American English.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, though 'overjoyed' is far more common than the verb 'to overjoy'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be/become/feel/seem] overjoyed (adj.) + to-infinitive[be/become/feel/seem] overjoyed (adj.) + at/by/with + noun phraseVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[to be] beside oneself with joy”
- “[to be] on cloud nine”
- “[to be] over the moon (chiefly UK)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in formal announcements: 'We are overjoyed to announce the merger.'
Academic
Rare. Might appear in literary or historical analysis describing emotional states.
Everyday
Most common in personal, emotional contexts: 'She was overjoyed when she got the job.'
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The news of her safe return will overjoy the entire community.
- It overjoys me to see our efforts come to fruition.
American English
- The final score was sure to overjoy the home fans.
- Such kindness from a stranger can truly overjoy a person.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverbial form. Use 'overjoyedly' (extremely rare/awkward).
American English
- No standard adverbial form. Use 'overjoyedly' (extremely rare/awkward).
adjective
British English
- We were utterly overjoyed by the invitation to the palace.
- The overjoyed grandparents could not stop smiling.
American English
- She was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing her family.
- An overjoyed expression spread across his face.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I am overjoyed to see you!
- They were overjoyed with the gift.
- My parents were overjoyed when I told them my good news.
- We felt overjoyed at winning the competition.
- The team was overjoyed by their unexpected victory in the finals.
- She seemed positively overjoyed to accept the award.
- The ambassador was overjoyed at the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
- Finding the lost manuscript overjoyed scholars who had long given up hope.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'over' + 'joy' = joy that *over*flows or is *over* the top, beyond ordinary happiness.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION IS A FLUID IN A CONTAINER ('brimming with joy'), INTENSITY IS SIZE/QUANTITY ('overwhelmed with joy').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'перерадоваться' (which can imply subsequent negative emotion). A more direct equivalent is 'быть вне себя от радости' or 'приводить в восторг'. The verb form 'оверджой' does not exist in Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Using the active verb 'I overjoyed him' (awkward/rare); correct: 'I made him overjoyed' or 'He was overjoyed'.
- Misspelling as 'over-joyed' (hyphenated form is archaic).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'overjoy' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is quite rare and formal. The adjective 'overjoyed' is the standard and overwhelmingly more common form.
No, that is incorrect. You must use the adjective form: 'I am overjoyed'.
'Overjoyed' is much stronger, implying an intense, overwhelming, and often sudden feeling of joy. 'Very happy' is a general intensifier.
The most common patterns are 'overjoyed to [do something]' (e.g., 'overjoyed to see you'), 'overjoyed at [something]' (e.g., 'overjoyed at the news'), and 'overjoyed by/with [something]' (e.g., 'overjoyed by their kindness').