joyous

adjective

joy·​ous ˈjȯi-əs How to pronounce joyous (audio)
: joyful
a joyous occasion
a joyous celebration
joyously adverb
joyousness noun

Examples of joyous in a Sentence

a mood of joyous anticipation a joyous crowd eagerly awaiting the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve
Recent Examples on the Web And Van Ness, who uses they/he/she pronouns, is beloved for their silly quips and joyous, over-the-top personality. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 With spring showers come joyous flowers and lots and lots of culture, in a season that is more packed than ever—or, at least, since 2019. The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 Presented by Detroit’s oldest choir, Rackham Choir, the joyous program features fiery soloists Rodrick Dixon, tenor; Alfreda Burke, soprano; and Karen Marie Richardson, mezzo-soprano. Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 But what should have been a joyous (and likely remunerative) affair for its two cofounders, Alexis Ohanian and current CEO Steve Huffman, has instead dredged up much of the disappointing fallout that led to the end of their relationship. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 After a joyous wedding celebration, guests were dismayed to discover some of their belongings were taken from their suitcases on their trip home. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 The June 20, 2021 shooting interrupted a joyous, musical celebration of Guatemalan Summer Solstice and Father’s Day, when two gunmen opened fire at a packed house party on the 2100 block of Dunn Avenue in Richmond. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 After sticking that historic landing, Archer jumped off his bike, and with arms triumphantly raised, ran to crewmates in joyous celebration. David K. Li, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 Kato’s vocals, the orchestra’s performance and the audience clapping along to the elevating single ended the show on a joyous note. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'joyous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of joyous was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near joyous

Cite this Entry

“Joyous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joyous. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

joyous

adjective
joy·​ous ˈjȯi-əs How to pronounce joyous (audio)
: feeling, causing, or showing joy : joyful
joyously adverb
joyousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on joyous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!