revel
verb (used without object)
to take great pleasure or delight (usually followed byin ).
revel
1 American
[rev-uhl]
/ ˈrɛv əl /
verb (used without object)
-
revels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reveled,
past participle, past
-
revelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
reveling,
present participle
-
revelling
present participle (especially British)
noun
-
revels
plural
-
boisterous merrymaking or festivity; revelry.
-
Often revels an occasion of merrymaking or noisy festivity with dancing, masking, etc.
Revel
2
American
[rey-vuhl, rye-vyil]
/ ˈreɪ vəl, ˈrjɛ vjɪl /
noun
revel
British
/ ˈrɛvəl /
verb
-
(foll by in) to take pleasure or wallow
to revel in success
-
to take part in noisy festivities; make merry
noun
-
(often plural) an occasion of noisy merrymaking
-
a less common word for revelry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
revelsimple
-
revelssimple
-
have reveledperfect
-
have revelledperfect
-
has reveledperfect
-
has revelledperfect
-
am revelingprogressive
-
am revellingprogressive
-
are revelingprogressive
-
are revellingprogressive
-
is revelingprogressive
-
is revellingprogressive
-
have been revelingperfect progressive
-
have been revellingperfect progressive
-
has been revelingperfect progressive
-
has been revellingperfect progressive
Past
-
reveledsimple
-
revelledsimple
-
had reveledperfect
-
had revelledperfect
-
was revelingprogressive
-
was revellingprogressive
-
were revelingprogressive
-
were revellingprogressive
-
had been revelingperfect progressive
-
had been revellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of revel
First recorded in 1275–1325; (for the verb) Middle English revelen, from Old French reveler “to raise tumult, make merry,” from Latin rebellāre “to wage war again” ( rebel ); noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
Revel means to take great pleasure. If you revel in something, you're not just pleased or even excited; you're overwhelmed by joy. It used to mean riotous merry-making. Now it means to bask in the self-reflected glow of your own pleasure. You revel in your victory lap after winning the race. Your brother is constantly on your case for being clumsy, so when he knocks down a table filled with glassware, you revel in it. Think of it as a high level of pleasure.
Vocabulary lists containing revel
Romeo and Juliet
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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.
See Examples For:
Die-hard “Big Bang Theory” viewers will revel in the nods to the original show — it is replete with them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Yudkowsky’s acolytes grew into the rationalist movement, a group of brainy, often libertarian-leaning outsiders who revel in logical debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Once the final track has been played, “F.I.G” beckons us to replay, revel in our emotions and dance once, maybe twice or thrice, more.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Thousands of people poured into the streets of Paris for the match and to revel in PSG's triumph in the final held in the Hungarian capital Budapest late Saturday.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
For the time being, though, I revel in the splendor of my accommodations, amazed that they cost $5.05 less, on a daily basis, than what I was paying for that rat hole in Clearview.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Ending the day with some wordplay: Revel in the weirdness of the English language with Slate’s newest game, SoundBites!
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
“The audience knows if you’re authentic or not,” says Ryan Revel, a talent manager who represents “The Challenge” alum Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and former “Vanderpump Rules” stars Tom Sandoval, Kristen Doute and Jax Taylor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will all return, but there's still no news about who will replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly as hosts.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
It was another strong week for George and Alexis, with judge Craig Revel Horwood telling the pair their Quickstep was "a joy to watch".
From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025
That his Government appreciated his services is shown by the fact that it made di Revel a full admiral, a rank which is rarely bestowed in Italy.
From The Victory At Sea by Hendrick, Burton J.
Like pretty much every good, bad and ludicrous shark film ever, “The Devil’s Mouth” opens with carefree revels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
She revels in the similarities between her and Rogue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The second thing is he revels in doing the vision thing: setting out, with passion, the route he believes could lead to a better society and why he reckons he could lead us there.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
But there is no man that is weaker than one who revels in harming others in a pathetic bid to feel bigger.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
The principal players, meantime, rehearsed Hamlet endlessly, employing a slightly different version each day, as Mr. Shakespeare deleted or added passages to suit the fancy of the master of revels.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
For years, Surf City conservatives like Gates have reveled in playing the burr in the saddle of deep blue California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
On movie screens, Peter Sellers reveled in comic invention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Bridgeman, a 26-year-old American chasing his first PGA Tour title, said the same, but he reveled in the challenge.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
As entrepreneurs, investors and students reveled in its potential, veteran healthcare leaders wondered whether this time would be different.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
I went back to Shusgis’ house and reveled in the hot showerbath, which came at one from all sides in a kind of prickly mist.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Spending time with Muirhead and Drummond in Cortina earlier this year, it was clear how much both revelled being back in the elite sport environment and how much curling meant to them.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Other publications have revelled in how Sturgeon has given interviews against a backdrop of stolen books in stolen bookcases, or offered cups of coffee to journalists from a coffee machine Murrell bought with stolen money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Hockney lived in an unheated garden shed, spent every waking hour painting and revelled in his newfound bohemia.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
With Jude Bellingham out injured and Mbappe sitting on the bench, Vinicius seemed to have more freedom to roam and revelled in being the key attacking figure.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
The hungry sailors revelled in the fruits, and reaped plentiful harvests of maize and rice, which Ravenau says "the Spaniards, I believe, did not sow with an intention they should enjoy."
From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume III (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Thornbury, Walter
I should be reveling in the gourmet–soda parade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
But the billionaire Republican is also reveling in the macho side of an event that will see bare-knuckle fighters battle it out in a mesh-framed cage known as the "Octagon."
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Two years later, the Quigleys are reveling in the Sunshine State’s education freedom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
A night for making history was also a night for reveling in it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2026
There were the Counters, for instance: fast-walking men, red-cheeked women, keeping score of how many times they walked around the deck, reveling in how fit they were.
From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz
Marcus Willis is not one for revelling in nostalgia.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Or maybe just revelling in the Canadian capers.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
Italy's cricketers have been revelling in plenty of "pinch me" moments during their debut appearance at the T20 World Cup, and now they want more.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
Jesus's first goal since January 1 left Arteta wreathed in smiles and Watkins' close-range strike in stoppage-time couldn't stop Arsenal revelling in their statement victory.
From Barron's ● Dec. 30, 2025
And I was getting on so well, was revelling in my new-found confidence, and, knowing its transience, was exploiting it for all I was worth.
From Mortal Coils by Huxley, Aldous
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.
