joyride

plural joyrides · alternative joy ride

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.

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

   2022 November 13, Jessie Lim, AsiaOne, archived from the original on 19 Apr 2025

   2 more examples

   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.

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

   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.

   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.

   Synonyms: rip

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.

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

   2008 September 13, Sam Emanuel, “Thieves go for spin in stolen go-karts”, in Norwich Evening News, retrieved 25 Sep 2008

   1 more example

   “A joyride gone terribly wrong,” Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said during a news conference in Steilacoom, which is about 3 miles from the island.

   2018 August 10, Paige Cornwell, Agueda Pacheco-Flores, “Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed”, in The Seattle Times, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2018

3. figurativelyA very pleasant experience.

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

   1991, Per Gessle, “Joyride”, in Joyride, performed by Roxette

   1 more example

   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.

   2018 March 13, Rick Steves, “First time in France? Here are some tips from Rick Steves”, in The Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2018

present singular third person joyrides · participle present joyriding · past joyrode · participle past joyridden · alternative joy ride

1. intransitiveTo take a joyride.

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

   c. 1969, Richard Brautigan, Death is a Beautiful Parked Car Only

   1 more example

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

   2008 August 27, Laura Albanese, “Joyriding teen arrested on delinquency charge”, in Newsday, retrieved 25 Sep 2008