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Preposition after adjective

Overjoyed at or overjoyed with?

Both overjoyed at and overjoyed with are used in English, but they focus on slightly different things.

Quick answer

Which is correct: overjoyed at or overjoyed with?

Use overjoyed at for events, news, or situations. Use overjoyed with for people, results, or possessions. Both are natural and common.

She was overjoyed at the news.
They were overjoyed with the results.
He felt overjoyed at her success.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
overjoyed at + event/news

Reacting to information or events

At commonly follows overjoyed when referring to news, achievements, or situations.

We were overjoyed at the announcement.
She seemed overjoyed at his return.
2
overjoyed with + person/thing

Expressing satisfaction with something

With often introduces something a person is pleased about or satisfied with.

The client was overjoyed with the final design.
They were overjoyed with their new home.
3
overjoyed to + verb

Expressing happiness about an action

An infinitive can follow overjoyed to describe the reason for happiness.

She was overjoyed to hear the news.
I am overjoyed to join the team.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
overjoyed at
He was overjoyed at the decision.
Used for events, news, or situations.
overjoyed with
She is overjoyed with her exam results.
Used for things, people, or outcomes someone is pleased with.
overjoyed about
They were overjoyed about the wedding.
Also possible in informal English for topics or situations.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using with for sudden news

At is usually more natural for news or announcements.

✕ She was overjoyed with the news. ✓ She was overjoyed at the news.

Using at for satisfaction with an object

With is more natural for things or results.

✕ He was overjoyed at his new car. ✓ He was overjoyed with his new car.

Using overjoyed without a clear reason

The adjective usually includes the cause of happiness.

✓ They were overjoyed at the opportunity.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was overjoyed ___ the announcement.
2. The team was overjoyed ___ the result.
3. I am overjoyed ___ meet everyone.

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Frequently asked questions

Can overjoyed with and overjoyed at both be correct?

Yes. The choice depends on whether you are focusing on an event or on a person, thing, or result.

Is overjoyed about acceptable?

Yes, especially in informal English when talking about situations or topics.

Can I use overjoyed before a verb?

Yes. Use overjoyed to followed by the base form of the verb.

obedient-to-unto-in-by, of "objective in" or "objective about"? "obligatory for" or "obligatory on"? "oblivious to" or "oblivious of"? observable in, by, from, to or on? obsessed with, by, about, in or over? obsessive about, in, over, with or to? "obsolete in" or "obsolete by"? "obtainable in" or "obtainable from"? "obvious to", "obvious from" or "obvious in"? odd to, for, about, in or on? offensive to, in, against, on or about?

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