What's the difference between joy and merriment?

Joy


Definition:

  • (n.) The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight.
  • (n.) That which causes joy or happiness.
  • (n.) The sign or exhibition of joy; gayety; mirth; merriment; festivity.
  • (n.) To rejoice; to be glad; to delight; to exult.
  • (v. t.) To give joy to; to congratulate.
  • (v. t.) To gladden; to make joyful; to exhilarate.
  • (v. t.) To enjoy.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) This frees the student to experience the excitement and challenge of learning and the joy of helping people.
  • (2) It came in a mix of joy and sorrow and brilliance under pressure, with one of the most remarkable things you will ever see on a basketball court in the biggest moment.
  • (3) His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.
  • (4) An untiring advocate of the joys and merits of his adopted home county, Bradbury figured Norfolk as a place of writing parsons, farmer-writers and sensitive poets: John Skelton, Rider Haggard, John Middleton Murry, William Cowper, George MacBeth, George Szirtes.
  • (5) He'll watch Game of Thrones , from now on, as a cheerfully clueless fan, "with total surprise and joy", and meanwhile get on with other work.
  • (6) José Mourinho ended this breathless contest on his knees with a sliding, turf-surfing celebration that was fuelled by relief as much as joy.
  • (7) But in the event, two US writers have made the final round of this year's award: Joshua Ferris and Karen Joy Fowler .
  • (8) It's no surprise that one of the last things Ian Curtis of Joy Division did before hanging himself was to watch Herzog's Stroszeck (1977).
  • (9) But all that has changed since I discovered the sheer joy of hunting down items with “reduced” stickers at my local Waitrose.
  • (10) "She's very agile as a performer, and is able to deliver again and again so it's a very joyful watch."
  • (11) Many of my friends have been crying with joy this week.
  • (12) Waitrose evokes strong opinions: from sniffy derision about the supermarket's perceived airs and graces to expressions of joy from middle-class incomers when their gentrified area is blessed with a branch.
  • (13) He didn't go to university, but says he discovered the joy of learning for learning's sake when he was tutored on the Harry Potter sets.
  • (14) But their joy didn't last long; a week later, 11 rhino were found on a single day at two private ranches northwest of Johannesburg.
  • (15) To everyone's joy, both stories turned out to be true.
  • (16) The experiences that most often led to high levels of joy were those referrable to positive emotional events.
  • (17) However, nerves among the Stoke fans subsequently turned to joy and relief as a substitute, Mame Biram Diouf, headed in with seven minutes to go and confirmed victory.
  • (18) When Gould almost dies one night, and the next morning is instead given three or four days to live, she experiences a strange joy at the extra time granted, more precious hours to talk with him about their twin passions, Queens Park Rangers and the Labour party, more time to help him get his book finished.
  • (19) Vic Goddard, principal of Passmores academy in neighbouring Essex, the school featured in the TV series Educating Essex, who recently published a book about the joys of headship, The Best Job In The World, says the document spells out what is going on across the country.
  • (20) Joshua Ferris's novel about dentistry, virtual identity and the search for meaning is bitingly funny; Karen Joy Fowler draws on studies of chimpanzee behaviour to consider what it is that makes us human.

Merriment


Definition:

  • (n.) Gayety, with laughter; mirth; frolic.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) That merriment is not just tankards and quaintness and mimsy Morris dancing, but a witty, angry and tender fire at the centre of Englishness.
  • (2) Christmas is a time for joy, celebration and bringing together family and friends to share this merriment.
  • (3) They are the only couple from the state dinner to get their picture on the front page of the Washington Post, and they were the source of a mix of merriment at their daring and alarmist speculation on the morning television shows about what would have happened if they had been Islamist extremists.
  • (4) For a long time, for me, one of the best things about the new year and Christmas was that it was a time for socially acceptable drunkenness, an occasion when even falling-over-in-the-street-drunkenness would be tolerated in the name of festive merriment.
  • (5) Back in 1776, the sage of Kirkcaldy noted: "People of the same trade seldom meet together even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."
  • (6) The central characters of the show entitled "Health and Merriment" were: the housewife Larimunda, the druggist Salim, and the clowns Banziero, Xulex, and Primentinha.
  • (7) If you are visiting Denmark around 23-24 June, you are likely to be invited to gather round a huge beach bonfire with much drinking, eating, singing and merriment.
  • (8) A young couple, screeching with merriment, went past on their way to a bar or nightclub.
  • (9) I have no idea what "real sex" is and even less after reading the Mumsnet thread of the bedside 'penis beaker' (a dunking cup for hygiene purposes that has caused much merriment online ).
  • (10) Not just to remember how to pronounce "caxirola", but for general merriment.
  • (11) Dennis was beloved by his friends for his originality as a poet, his acuity as a critic, his probity and courage and merriment as a man.
  • (12) The effect is of a party recently ended, of a room still ringing with merriment, laughter and dancing.
  • (13) This tour of royal duty presumably produced the desired effect – positive media reporting – no doubt resulting in much merriment among the corridors of the royal household.
  • (14) Along with the origins on the South Bank, the merriment at the fact that funds are so tight, Walker often has to take the bus … It all suggests difference of the wrong kind: that the life experiences of Mayer, Toksvig and Walker may be alienatingly divergent from the people they want to reach.
  • (15) In the end, our futile midwinter merriment comes from the heart.
  • (16) It took Bryan Cranston four nominations to finally nab best actor, drama, for his role as the teacher-turned-druglord Walter White; on collecting his award, Cranston drily suggested that the exposure would bring the show's "mirth and merriment" to the world.
  • (17) After 2000, they are almost always funny, extended merriment concerning trousers with elasticated waistbands and grumpiness about modern music.
  • (18) Even opposition MPs realised today that the launch of IDS's Cunning Plan was not a day for merriment.
  • (19) But it’s not only musical merriment that revs up the crowds at its flagship London night at Koko: Rowley swoops in on new cabaret talent, too.