delightfulnessn.
/dᵻˈlʌɪtf(ᵿ)lnəs/, U.S. /dəˈlaɪtfəlnəs/, /diˈlaɪtfəlnəs/ 1. The state or condition of feeling delight; great pleasure, joyfulness. Cf. delightful adj. 2. rare between 17th and 21st centuries.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > joy, gladness, or delight > [noun]
merrinesseOE
gladnessc900
mirtheOE
playeOE
dreamOE
gladshipc975
lissOE
willOE
hightOE
blithenessc1000
gladc1000
winOE
blissc1175
delices?c1225
delight?c1225
joy?c1225
comfortc1230
listc1275
gladhead1303
daintyc1325
fainnessc1340
lightnessa1350
delectationc1384
delightingc1390
comfortationa1400
fainheada1400
blithec1400
fainc1400
delicacyc1405
gladsomeness1413
reveriea1425
joyousitiea1450
joyfulnessc1485
jucundity1536
joyousness1549
joc1560
delightfulness1565
jouissance1579
joyance1590
levitya1631
revelling1826
chuckle1837
joyancy1849
a song in one's heart1862
delightsomeness1866
1565 T. Norton & T. Sackville Gorboduc i. ii. sig. A.viv Custome (O king) shall bringe delightfulnesBy vse of Vertue, Vice shall growe in hate.
1608 G. Markham & L. Machin Dumbe Knight iv. sig. G3 The Queene is all for reuelles, her light heart..Bestowes it self vpon delightfulnesse.
1837 Millennial Harbinger (Bethany, Va.) Oct. 37 I would not say that fearlessness, contentedness, peacefulness, delightfulness, joyfulness, sociableness, communicativeness, have no applicability whatever to the happiness of the righteous.
2019 @ATZCHSAN 27 Oct. in twitter.com (accessed 4 Nov. 2019) You deserve the whole world. Happiness, delightfulness and joy.
2. The state or quality of being delightful (delightful adj. 1); loveliness, charm.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > joy, gladness, or delight > quality of causing joy or delight > [noun]
delighta1250
deliciositya1398
joya1400
delightabilityc1440
deliciousnessa1450
delectablenessc1487
delicity?c1500
delectability1565
delightsomenessa1568
delightfulness1570
joyance1847
1570 A. Golding tr. D. Chytræus Postil 364 He mingled the delightfulnesse of melody with his precepts of instruction.
1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 9v I hope the delightfulnes of the one, will attenuate the tediousnesse of the other.
1672 J. Playford Introd. Skill Musick (ed. 6) i. 59 Which Musick, by its variety and delightfulness, allayeth the Passions.
1777 W. Jones Ess. i. 163 The delightfulness of their climate.
1831 C. C. F. Greville Mem. (1875) II. xv. 182 Admiration of the beauty and delightfulness of the place.
1935 Times Lit. Suppl. 4 July 430/1 People were still deceived by his studied delightfulness.
2019 St. Louis (Missouri) Post-Dispatch (Nexis) 3 Feb. l1 Champagne, for all of its sheer delightfulness, has a faint edge to it; all alcohol does.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1565