delighted
dih-LY-tid
/dɪˈlaɪ.tɪd/
Feeling or showing great pleasure or satisfaction.
A warm, pleasant, and highly versatile expression of satisfaction and pleasure.
The story behind the word. Traced through Old French 'deleitier' from Latin 'delectare' (to allure, charm). The spelling was altered in English by false analogy with words like 'night' and 'light'.
Word relationships
- pleased: 'Pleased' is basic approval; 'delighted' is stronger and warmer.
- displeased: 'Displeased' indicates dissatisfaction or annoyance.
Commonly confused with
- dilated: 'Dilated' means widened or expanded (e.g., pupils), not filled with pleasure.
Word family
- delight (noun): Great pleasure or joy.
- delightful (adjective): Causing delight or charm.
Collocations
- delighted to meet
- absolutely delighted
- delighted by
- delighted response
Idioms & expressions
- pleased as Punch
Example sentences
- "We were delighted to receive an invitation to the anniversary banquet." Polite social enthusiasm
Memory hook
DE-LIGHT-ED — like someone turning on a light inside your soul. Lit up with sudden warmth.
When not to use
Avoid in extreme scenarios requiring intense, wild emotion like 'ecstatic' or 'euphoric'.
Fun facts
- The spelling originally lacked the 'gh' (it was 'delite'); scribes inserted 'gh' in the 16th century thinking it was related to 'light'.
Explore more words
elated, delectable, enthusiastic, exhilarating, exuberant, radiant
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