joyous
Americanadjective
adjective
-
having a happy nature or mood
-
joyful
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of joyous
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French joios. See joy, -ous
Explanation
Someone or something joyous is characterized by joy: extreme, exuberant, deep happiness. If you won the lottery, you’d probably feel joyous. Joyous is a strong word for the absolute best moments in life. Weddings and graduations are usually described as joyous occasions. You would feel joyous if you accomplished a lifelong goal, such as earning a gold medal in the Olympics. In other words, joyous goes beyond the simple feeling of happiness you might get from watching your favorite TV show or eating a delicious sandwich — unless of course it’s a really amazing sandwich.
Vocabulary lists containing joyous
Smiley Face: Synonyms for "Happy"
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List 2
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American Street
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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.
They read midlife modesty, not stoke; they’re lacking in the joyous, playful audacity that Kasparian and her team infused into their groundbreaking designs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
Kenya's Sebastian Sawe has returned home to joyous scenes after becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in competitive race conditions.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
“Isom Dart Was” presents a murky, joyous take on dub music.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
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 cars also came to sad ends; the joyous celebration after the first Skaggs Springs economy run came to a tearful halt when the winning car spontaneously burst into flames and burned to the ground.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
