Meaning & use
delightful
Last updated
UK/dɪˈlaɪtfl/
US/dɪˈlaɪtfəl/
Meaning
adjectivecomparableapproving
Very pleasant and giving real enjoyment.
Grammar: Before a noun or after be: a delightful evening.
Patterns
- delightful to do something
We had a delightful evening on the terrace.
The village was delightful in spring.
She is a delightful child, always smiling.
Word forms
| comparative | more delightful |
|---|---|
| superlative | most delightful |
Common combinations
- absolutely delightful
- The garden was absolutely delightful.
- delightful surprise
- The gift was a delightful surprise.
- delightful company
- He was delightful company at dinner.
- delightful little
- They stayed in a delightful little cottage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- charming
- Charming stresses attractive manner or look, while delightful stresses the pleasure you feel.
- lovely
- Lovely is more common and casual.
- enchanting
- Enchanting is stronger and implies a magical spell.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: delightful or delighted?
delightful vs delighted
Delighted describes the person who feels pleasure; delightful describes the thing that causes it.
Practice
The concert was so ___ that the whole audience stayed to applaud.
Choose one answer.
The concert causes pleasure, so delightful fits. Delighted describes how a person feels.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “delightful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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