joyful
Americanadjective
-
full of joy, as a person or one's heart; glad; delighted.
- Antonyms:
- melancholy
-
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
-
expressing or producing joy
a joyful look
a joyful occasion
Other Word Forms
- joyfully adverb
- joyfulness noun
- overjoyful adjective
- overjoyfully adverb
- overjoyfulness noun
- unjoyful adjective
- unjoyfully adverb
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, in the midst of feeling joyful connection, I also felt sadness nestled next to that joy.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026
“But if you watch it, she’s often very joyful, and she’ll say it with a big smile on her face.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“Brighter Days” by Cajmere, “Nissan Altima” by Doechii and several high-energy remixes that I found on Bandcamp, my set was everything I’d hoped for: fun, joyful and liberating.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Lynsey described Thea as "cheeky" and "joyful" but said the family live in a fragile state of exhaustion due to the high level of care.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
The joyful kick of a brand-new pair of legs.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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.
