delight in
B2 formal inseparable transitive
In simple words
To really love something and enjoy it very much, often in a way that others can see.
Meanings
1 B2 formal
To take great, often enthusiastic pleasure in an activity or situation.
"She delights in solving complex mathematical puzzles."
"He delights in provoking people."
— Christopher Hitchens, interviewed in The Atlantic (2011)
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1
idiomatic
formal
To find particular enjoyment in something that others might consider unusual or provocative.
"The satirist delighted in exposing the hypocrisies of the powerful."
"He delights in mischief and enjoys every minute of it."
— Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers (1836)
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
More common in written and formal English than in casual speech. Can carry a slightly mischievous or wry connotation when describing pleasure in others' misfortune or in provocative behaviour.
Commonly used with
telling stories teasing cooking detail the absurd mischief
Forms
Base
delight in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
delights in
he/she/it
Past simple
delighted in
yesterday
Past participle
delighted in
have + pp
-ing form
delighting in
continuous
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Synonyms
relish revel in enjoy take pleasure in savour love
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