delight in doing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "delight in doing" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to express enjoyment or pleasure in performing a specific activity. Example: She finds delight in painting landscapes. Alternative expressions include "take pleasure in," "enjoy," and "find joy in."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

And he will probably delight in doing so.

The Guardian - Sport

Bouvier combines a Calvinist reserve with a delight in doing the unthinkable.

The New Yorker

Old age can turn the delight in doing certain tasks into a plodding burden.

The Washington Post

He doesn't look past or through them; he simply sees them clearly and conveys his own delight in doing so.

The New Yorker

Usually these spaces are handed over to interior designers who delight in doing everything the architect would hate.

The Guardian - Arts

She attacked D.C.'s admittedly failing school system with an unseemly ferocity and seemed to take great delight in doing it.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Simon Amstell has always delighted in doing the unexpected.

The Guardian

Picasso at 33 was able to reinvent both the materials and the techniques of sculpture, and he delighted in doing it.

The New York Times - Books

At its simplest, cinema delights in doing just that: making objects appear closer than they really are, bringing them so close, in fact, that they seem to be bearing right down on us, like that Lumière brothers train.

The New York Times

At the peak of the glass-box movement in American architecture, Mr. Tafel took a contrarian tack — something he delighted in doing — and designed a red-brick structure wrapped in balustrades ornamented with cloverleaf-shaped Gothic quatrefoils, emulating the adjoining 19th-century church.

The New York Times - Arts

As the president's 9-year-old son Tad stood beside his mother, Mary Todd Lincoln, he gazed awestruck at the sight, saying quietly at last, "Mother, isn't it funny that father is so tall, and Mr. and Mrs. Stratton are so little?" Lincoln, overhearing the remark, replied, "My boy, it is because Dame Nature sometimes delights in doing funny things.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

This phrase is particularly effective in narrative writing or profile pieces to add color to a subject's personality.

Common error

A frequent mistake is following the phrase with an infinitive, such as 'delight in to do'. In standard English, "delight in doing" requires the gerund form. If you wish to use the infinitive, the structure usually changes to 'delighted to do', which often refers to a specific future event rather than a general habit of enjoyment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delight in doing" serves as a complex verb construction where 'delight' acts as the principal verb (often part of 'take delight' or used directly as 'he delights'). It is followed by a prepositional phrase that takes a gerund as its object. According to Ludwig AI, this structure is grammatically perfect for expressing habitual pleasure.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Social Media

3%

Science

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "delight in doing" is a versatile and expressive idiom that describes a profound sense of enjoyment. Ludwig AI confirms that it is widely utilized across premium news outlets to portray subjects who approach their tasks with genuine zeal. Unlike more common verbs like 'enjoy', this phrase captures a specific nuance of taking active, visible pleasure in the process of an action. It is grammatically sound when followed by a gerund and remains a powerful tool for writers looking to elevate their descriptions of human enthusiasm and motivation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take pleasure in doing

More formal and often used to describe a refined or deliberate sense of enjoyment.

relish doing

Suggests a keen, savory enjoyment or a look of great anticipation toward the task.

revel in doing

Implies a more boisterous or public display of intense satisfaction, often with a hint of pride.

find joy in doing

Focuses on the internal, emotional reward of the activity rather than the outward display.

enjoy doing

The most common and neutral alternative for general satisfaction.

love doing

Indicates a stronger personal affection for the activity, leaning toward a hobby or passion.

get a kick out of doing

An informal idiom suggesting the activity provides sudden amusement or excitement.

take pride in doing

Shifts the focus from pure enjoyment to the satisfaction derived from quality and achievement.

fancy doing

Primarily British and often refers to a passing inclination or a specific liking.

appreciate doing

Implies a more intellectual or measured recognition of the value in the activity.

FAQs

How do I use "delight in doing" in a sentence?

You can use it to show someone enjoys an action, for example: 'She seemed to "take pleasure in" the process, showing a true delight in doing her work.'

What can I say instead of "delight in doing"?

Depending on the tone, you could use "relish doing", "enjoy doing" or "revel in doing".

Is it correct to say 'delight to do'?

It is more common to say 'be delighted to do' for a specific instance, but for an ongoing habit of enjoyment, "delight in doing" is the standard idiomatic choice.

Does "delight in doing" sound formal?

It is a neutral to sophisticated phrase. While not overly stiff, it is more expressive than simply using "like doing" and is frequently found in literary and journalistic contexts.