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.
These joyous new Lakers have wings and feel 270 pounds lighter without LeBron James while the 76ers look like they’re struggling with him, Bill Plaschke writes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
"It was just the most wonderful, inclusive, joyous two hours of my day. It was wonderful. The audience were just loving it."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
He posted a picture of screaming, joyous, celebrating burnt-orange-clad students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Burning Man still gives me some of the most joyous days out of my year,” she told Salon.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Brother Leon looked positively joyous and Goober felt nauseous.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
