joyful
Americanadjective
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full of joy, as a person or one's heart; glad; delighted.
- Antonyms:
- melancholy
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showing or expressing joy, as looks, actions, or speech.
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causing or bringing joy, as an event, a sight, or news; delightful.
the joyful announcement of their marriage.
adjective
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full of joy; elated
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expressing or producing joy
a joyful look
a joyful occasion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of joyful
Explanation
Someone who's joyful is very happy. A joyful child will laugh with delight. When you experience the feeling of joy, you're joyful. For many people, their wedding day, the birth of their children, or simply a beautiful summer afternoon can all be joyful occasions. To be joyful is beyond being happy — there is delight and a kind of bliss involved in feeling joyful. The noun joy is at the root of joyful, from the Old French joie with its Latin root of gaudere, "rejoice."
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.
And accepting that joyful sorrow and sorrowful joy are the double helix of parental DNA takes time.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
In Paris, Chwalinska has played with infectious freedom and joyful creativity, beating two seeded players and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen along the way.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
“While the existing residence carries undeniable charm, character, and a joyful spirit that mirrors Simmons’ distinctive personality, the true value lies in the land itself,” she said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
Most of the works here are joyful, but we also see the artists working in their most serious modes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
He consents without a murmur, all join in a joyful chorus, and the curtain falls upon the lovers kneeling to receive Don Pedro’s blessing in attitudes of the most romantic grace.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
