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.
-
causing or bringing joy, as an event, a sight, or news; delightful.
the joyful announcement of their marriage.
adjective
-
full of joy; elated
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expressing or producing joy
a joyful look
a joyful occasion
Other Word 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.
But the story is actually a joyful one: An innovative and committed high school sociology teacher in Tennessee, Alex Campbell, teaches a class that reopens these cold cases and gives new life to the investigations.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
Don’t look a joyful one-sided Cup-opening victory over the world’s 40th-ranked soccer team in the mouth?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
"Oooh, I'd love to manifest an awesome title - like, 'Olivia Rodrigo lives the happiest, most joyful life any singer songwriter ever lived'."
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
"Now our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continues," she added.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
He sprang up and tore a joyful path around the clearing, running by Bristle in a blaze of red fur.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
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.
