Overjoyed

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌoʊvɚˈd͡ʒɔɪd/

Definitions

1. Experiencing an extraordinary level of happiness and delight
2. Feeling a powerful surge of happiness and great pleasure
3. Showing intense joy and a deep sense of satisfaction

Etymology: "Overjoyed" is the past participle of "overjoy", so it is the form of the verb that describes someone in the state of having been overwhelmed with joy. The verb itself is a simple compound: the prefix "over-", an Old English element meaning "above" or "beyond" in the sense of exceeding a measure, attached to "joy". That prefix is the same one found in words like "overflow" and "overcome", where the idea is of going past a normal limit. "Joy" has a longer trail. It descends through Old French "joie" from Latin "gaudia", the plural of "gaudium", a noun from the verb "gaudēre", meaning "to rejoice". Middle English "joye" arrived by way of that French route, and the English spelling and pronunciation settled into "joy" over the centuries. Combining it with "over-" gave English a way to say that joy had gone beyond the ordinary, with the same logic that produced "overwhelmed" and "overjoyed" as ways of expressing emotions that spill past their usual bounds.

Synonyms: elated, ecstatic, delighted, thrilled, joyful

Antonyms: disappointed, sorrowful, miserable, unhappy, sad