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Synonyms

joyous

American  
[joi-uhs] / ˈdʒɔɪ əs /

adjective

  1. joyful; happy; jubilant.

    the joyous sounds of children at play.
joyous British  
/ ˈdʒɔɪəs /

adjective

  1. having a happy nature or mood

  2. joyful

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • joyously adverb
  • joyousness noun
  • overjoyous adjective
  • overjoyously adverb
  • overjoyousness noun
  • unjoyous adjective
  • unjoyously adverb

Etymology

Origin of joyous

1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French joios. See joy, -ous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What that means for his future remains to be seen but those joyous scenes of last spring certainly seem a long time ago now.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

The event marks a joyous turnaround for the eagles, who lost a first clutch in late January.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Their return to Australia this year would be far less joyous.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

The best relationships in life are joyous and free and, yes, come with responsibilities and hard decisions and commitment.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

There they stood, the church members, with joyous astonishment written on their faces, whispering among themselves.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.