boisterous merrymaking or festivity; revelry.
Often revels an occasion of merrymaking or noisy festivity with dancing, masking, etc.
(foll by in) to take pleasure or wallow
to revel in success
to take part in noisy festivities; make merry
(often plural) an occasion of noisy merrymaking
a less common word for revelry
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While history buffs may revel in the costumes and architecture, it all can feel a little too earnest to some.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
While they were able to revel in fan reaction for a few days after the release of Vol.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025
And now it was time to revel in all that success.
From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025
Completists will revel in the vast selection of outtakes, a musical progress that affords listeners a window into each song’s evolution.
From Salon • Dec. 12, 2025
I am a child again, hiding under a table, with the revel spinning around above me.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
