Delight

A burst of pleased surprise and keen enjoyment.

Family Joy
Valence strongly positive
Arousal high activation
Intensity Moderate
Opposite Dismay

A burst of pleased surprise and keen enjoyment. The body holds this signal first, often before the mind has named what is happening.

Where delight lives in the body

Face
Strong heat or tension
Strong
Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Moderate
Chest
Tightness or warmth
Moderate
Hands
Slight movement
Quiet

Related emotions

JoyJoy familyElationJoy familyGleeJoy familyDismayThe opposite
A note on this entry: The data on this page (definition, body sensations, valence, arousal, related emotions) reflects a structured reference for delight. A full long-form entry is being added gradually. If you have research, a translation, or a body-mapping correction to suggest, please get in touch.