Would it sound awkward if I say "pleasure" instead of "joy" in this context? If so, what's the main difference between these words?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

It might, yeah. Here, "pleasure" would just be a bit too formal. But "pleasure" also has a couple of other meanings, which might make it awkward. "Pleasure" can mean entertaining or to have sexual enjoyment. Whereas "joy" simply expresses the emotion. You could, however, use "happiness" in this context. Ex: Seeing her message was instant joy to me. = Seeing her message was instant happiness to me. Ex: I get a lot of pleasure from watching you suffer. => entertainment

How do native speakers use this expression?

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12/17

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