overjoy

To overjoy someone is not just to make them happy. It is to fill them with so much joy that the feeling seems to spill over. Think of the moment when wonderful news arrives without warning, or when something deeply hoped for finally happens. That sudden, full-hearted happiness is close to the feeling behind this word. In real use, people more often say someone is "overjoyed" than use "overjoy" by itself. You might enjoy a nice meal, but you would be overjoyed to hear that a loved one is safe after a crisis.

The verb "overjoy" means to fill someone with very great joy. It is stronger than simply making someone happy. The idea is that the joy is so strong and complete that it feels hard to hold in. The "over-" part adds the sense of intensity, as if the feeling rises above ordinary happiness.

This word often appears in the form "overjoyed," which is much more common in everyday English. People use it for special moments: a wedding, the birth of a child, a hard-earned success, a reunion, or unexpected good news. For example: "She was overjoyed when she got into medical school," or "The children were overjoyed to see their grandparents arrive."

While "joy" can describe a general feeling of happiness, "overjoyed" points to a much stronger emotional moment. It is not usually used for small pleasures or everyday good moods. Instead, it fits times that feel important, moving, or deeply personal. The word often carries a sense of relief, gratitude, or loving warmth as well as happiness.

Because of that, the feeling often stays in memory. It is the kind of happiness people remember for years and connect with major life events. So when something fills a person with joy so strong it almost feels too big for the moment, that thing has overjoyed them, and they are overjoyed.