Meaning & use
joyriding
Last updated
“joyriding” is a form of “joyride”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountabledisapproving
The crime of taking a car without permission and driving it fast and recklessly for fun.
Grammar: Uncountable: joyriding is a crime.
Patterns
- charged with joyriding
Two teenagers were arrested for joyriding in a stolen truck.
Joyriding puts both drivers and pedestrians in danger.
The town launched a campaign against joyriding.
noununcountableinformal
A fast, pleasure drive or ride taken purely for fun, without a destination.
Grammar: Informal and less common: going joyriding.
Patterns
- go joyriding
We spent the afternoon joyriding along the coast.
The kids went joyriding on the new quad bike.
They went joyriding in her grandfather's old convertible.
Word forms
| base form | joyride |
|---|---|
| past tense | joyrode |
| -ing form | joyriding |
Common combinations
- go joyriding
- They went joyriding after midnight.
- arrested for joyriding
- He was arrested for joyriding.
- teenage joyriding
- Teenage joyriding is a problem in the area.
- joyriding in a stolen car
- Police stopped them joyriding in a stolen car.
- charged with joyriding
- She was charged with joyriding.
Synonyms and how they differ
- car theft
- Car theft means taking a car to keep or sell it, not necessarily to drive for fun.
- taking and driving away
- Taking and driving away is a legal term for the offense.
- cruising
- Cruising is a harmless slow drive, while joyriding is reckless.
- road trip
- A road trip is a long planned journey, not a reckless drive.
Word family
Commonly confused: joyriding or carjacking?
joyriding vs carjacking
Carjacking is taking a car by force from its driver, while joyriding is taking a car for a reckless drive.
Practice
The teenagers were charged with ___ after taking a neighbor's car without asking.
Choose one answer.
Joyriding is taking a car without permission for a fast drive. Carpooling, tailgating and commuting are legal or different driving behaviors.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “joyriding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.