joyride

• joy ride

From joy +‎ ride.

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɔɪˌɹaɪd/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: joy‧ride

joyride (plural joyrides)

1. A ride in a vehicle taken solely for pleasure or enjoyment, especially a vehicle ride taken with no particular goal or purpose and just for the pleasure or enjoyment of a vehicle ride.

   Synonym: (Canada) rip

   • 2022 November 13, Jessie Lim, AsiaOne (Singapore)‎^[1]:

     Joyrides and hikes: Commuters keep these 11 new Thomson-East Coast Line stations buzzing on the first day of operations

   • 2004 October, John Brodie, “Driving Privileges”, in Vanity Fair, number 530, New York: Condé Nast, page 158:

     Launched last March, the H.C.C. is similar to a country club-except, instead of playing golf, members take joyrides or leisurely weekend trips in any of the top-of-the-line cars housed in a Century City garage.

   • 2013 July 7, Heather Salerno, “Go for a Wet and Wild Joyride Down the Hudson”, in The Journal News, White Plains, New York: Gannett Co.:

     It's called the Beast for a reason: You literally hold on to your hat -- and your sunglasses, and anything else that isn't secured -- for a 30-minute joyride. Painted to look like a bright green, sharp-toothed shark, this 70-foot racing boat zips down the Hudson, skips over waves and zooms past the Empire State Building and other landmarks at up to 45 mph.

2. An instance of driving a motor vehicle in a carefree or reckless manner, especially a vehicle which has been taken without the permission of the owner.
   • 2008 September 13, Sam Emanuel, “Thieves go for spin in stolen go-karts”, in Norwich Evening News‎^[2], retrieved 25 September 2008:

     Thieves took three go-karts for a joyride through the streets of Norwich.

3. (figurative) A very pleasant experience.
   • 1991, Per Gessle, “Joyride”, in Joyride, performed by Roxette:

     Hello, you fool, I love you / Come on, join the joyride

   • 2018 March 13, Rick Steves, “First time in France? Here are some tips from Rick Steves”, in The Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington:

     Treat your taste buds. A good meal is a three-hour joyride for the senses — as rich as visiting an art gallery and as stimulating as a good massage.

• (ride taken for enjoyment): joyflight

joyride (third-person singular simple present joyrides, present participle joyriding, simple past joyrode, past participle joyridden)

1. (intransitive) To take a joyride.
   • c. 1969, Richard Brautigan, Death is a Beautiful Parked Car Only:

     You joyride around for a while listening / to the radio, and then abandon death, walk / away, and leave death for the police / to find.

   • 2008 August 27, Laura Albanese, “Joyriding teen arrested on delinquency charge”, in Newsday‎^[3], retrieved 25 September 2008:

     His parents were out shopping and he used the opportunity to snatch the keys to the 1999 Suzuki Esteem and joyride around the neighborhood.

• joyrider
• joyriding