enjoy

From Middle English enjoyen, borrowed from Old French enjoier, anjoier, enjoer (“to give joy, receive with joy, rejoice”), equivalent to en- +‎ joy.

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈd͡ʒɔɪ/
• (when enunciating) IPA^(key): /ɛnˈd͡ʒɔɪ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛnˈd͡ʒɔɪ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio

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• Rhymes: -ɔɪ

enjoy (third-person singular simple present enjoys, present participle enjoying, simple past and past participle enjoyed)

1. (transitive) To receive pleasure or satisfaction from something
   • 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:

     Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.

   Enjoy your holidays!   I enjoy dancing.

2. (transitive) To have the use or benefit of something.
   • Bible, Numbers xxxvi. 8

     that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers

   • 1988, Harry G Frankfurt, The importance of what we care about: philosophical essays

     This account fails to provide any basis for doubting that animals of subhuman species enjoy the freedom it defines.

   I plan to go travelling while I still enjoy good health.

3. (intransitive, India) To be satisfied or receive pleasure.

   I enjoyed a lot.

4. (transitive) To have sexual intercourse with.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

• This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

• enjoyable
• enjoyment
• to enjoy oneself

• joyne