delighted

Delighted is an adjective describing a strong feeling of pleasure or happiness, or a polite expression of pleasure in response to something. It can describe an emotional state, as in “I am delighted,” or be used in fixed phrases such as “delighted to meet you” or “delighted with the results.”

Etymology and form: The adjective derives from the verb delight, which in turn comes from Old French delit meaning pleasure, from Latin delectare meaning to please or charm. The past participle form delighted is used to describe the resulting emotional state and can function attributively or predicatively.

Usage: Delighted is common in both spoken and written English, especially in formal or courteous contexts. It can be used predicatively: “The audience was delighted.” It can be used attributively: “a delighted crowd.” The term signals a high level of pleasure, but it is typically less intense than words like ecstatic or overjoyed and more positive than merely pleased.

Synonyms and nuance: Related terms include pleased, happy, and elated. Delighted often conveys a personal or sincere reaction to a specific stimulus, such as an invitation, news, or a performance. The adverbial form delightedly describes the manner of expressing pleasure, as in “speaking delightedly about the project.”

Examples: I was delighted to receive your invitation. They were delighted with the new design. The audience was delighted by the play. She looked delighted at the compliment.