simcha means joy. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
simcha is pronounced /ˈsɪmxə/.
Why “simcha” is a great word
A deep, resonant joy, particularly of the kind cultivated and shared during a Jewish life-cycle event or communal festival. From Yiddish *simkhe*, from Hebrew *simkhá* (literally “happiness”). Unlike *sasson*, which is the bright, outward flash of gladness, or *osher*, which describes happiness as a general condition, *simcha* is the cultivated warmth that fills a room: the rhythmic stomp of a wedding hora, the focused silence of a Torah study, the laden table at a Sabbath meal. It is happiness made substantive through ritual, a durable gladness forged in the shared act of observance.
Etymology
From Yiddish שׂמחה (simkhe), from Hebrew שִׂמְחָה (simkhá, literally “happiness”).
noun
- joy“Each and every one of these blessings is a reason to be full of simcha.”
- a celebration“After the wedding, I received a letter from the bride and her family with profuse thanks for enabling them and the Jewish community of Sheboygan to witness and participate in a "wonderful, traditional simcha"”