rejoice

American  

[ri-jois] / rɪˈdʒɔɪs /

verb (used without object)

• rejoices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rejoiced,
  past participle,  past
• rejoicing
  present participle

1. to be glad; take delight (often followed byin ).

   to rejoice in another's happiness.

   Synonyms:

   glory, exult, revel

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verb (used with object)

• rejoices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rejoiced,
  past participle,  past
• rejoicing
  present participle

1. to make joyful; gladden.

   a song to rejoice the heart.

rejoice British  

/ rɪˈdʒɔɪs /

verb

1. to feel or express great joy or happiness

2. archaic (tr) to cause to feel joy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rejoicer
  noun
• rejoicing
  noun
• prerejoice
  verb (used without object)
• rejoiceful
  adjective
• unrejoiced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• rejoicing
  present
• rejoiced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rejoice
  simple
• rejoices
  simple
• have rejoiced
  perfect
• has rejoiced
  perfect
• am rejoicing
  progressive
• are rejoicing
  progressive
• is rejoicing
  progressive
• have been rejoicing
  perfect progressive
• has been rejoicing
  perfect progressive

Past

• rejoiced
  simple
• had rejoiced
  perfect
• was rejoicing
  progressive
• were rejoicing
  progressive
• had been rejoicing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rejoice
  simple
• will have rejoiced
  perfect
• will be rejoicing
  progressive
• will have been rejoicing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of rejoice

1275–1325; Middle English rejoicen < Old French rejouiss-, long stem of rejouir, equivalent to re- re- + jouir to rejoice; see joy

Explanation

To rejoice is to be incredibly happy, or to express your incredible happiness. If you just won millions in the lottery, you might rejoice by screaming at the top of your lungs. When you rejoice, you celebrate or feel extreme happiness. You might rejoice after scoring the winning goal in a championship game, or you might rejoice when you receive an amazing gift on your birthday. You’ll often hear this word in the phrase “let us rejoice,” especially in some religious settings.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rejoice rejoices rejoiced rejoicing

While the car’s Mood Modes include an accompanying soundtrack of thrumming, guttering performance sounds, I was happy to turn it off and rejoice in the well-wrought, hard-won quiet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

"You rejoice and cry, and you tremble inside from the emotion -- seeing those eyes that are both sad and joyful and filled with tears," she told AFP during a recent prisoner exchange.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

"While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will love on forever," they said.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

“It’s been nice to celebrate and rejoice and get ready for what’s ahead of us,” he said after practice at SoFi Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2025

‘Thus,’ said Éomer, ‘is the friendship of the Mark and of Gondor bound with a new bond, and the more do I rejoice.’

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

As energy bills soar elsewhere in the world, "Our property manager has announced a 20 percent reduction in heating and hot water bills for 2026 and 2027," rejoices the 69-year-old retiree.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

“My heart breaks for my brother who’s no longer with us but it rejoices knowing he’s with his fellow warriors in Valhalla drinking and fighting with Odin,” she wrote in another post on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024

I don’t think you’ll find a hostage family that rejoices in that.

From Slate ● Dec. 16, 2023

He rejoices at a fresh snowfall, gleefully explores his home and country with a snowman who magically comes alive and, in a crushing final panel, stares down at a green hat and scarf.

From New York Times ● Aug. 10, 2022

Every human culture rejoices in the fact that there are cycles in nature.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

"The theory not only reproduces the experiment but also provides the basis for guiding future discoveries in this system," rejoiced Schiró.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

Though some Iranians mourned the death of their supreme leader, others rejoiced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026

Prisoners rejoiced upon hearing the news, but outside their relatives were tense on Saturday morning, fearing guards might punish inmates for celebrating.

From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026

When Kenny McLean's half-way line howitzer found the back of the Denmark net at Hampden last month to seal Scotland's place at next year's World Cup, a nation rejoiced in unison.

From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025

I rejoiced in teaching young people about linear equations and graphs.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Fans are rejoicing because Scotland is playing in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Liverpool's 20th title, equalling Manchester United, was a cause of rejoicing from their global fanbase.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

There was much rejoicing and the oil was able to flow once more and prices returned almost to where they had been before the strait was closed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

Benjamin Samat, a French influencer living in Dubai, took to Instagram to lash out at "those who on social media are rejoicing that the French are going through this".

From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026

At Manzanar I suppose there was some rejoicing too.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Related Words

• exult
• revel