jubilant

adjective

ju·​bi·​lant ˈjü-bə-lənt How to pronounce jubilant (audio)
Synonyms of jubilant
: feeling or expressing great joy : exultant
the jubilant winner
jubilantly adverb

Examples of jubilant in a Sentence

the nominee's jubilant acceptance speech before the cheering crowd
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Johnson roared into a jubilant Bears locker room. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026 Fans were jubilant this weekend after the Chicago Bears sent the Green Bay Packers packing in a stunning victory in an NFC Wild Card playoff game. Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026 The night was a mix of jubilant reunions and raw emotion. Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026 The Bills had snuck into the playoffs as a wild card, and the scene in the locker room was equal parts chaotic and jubilant. Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jubilant

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin jūbilant-, jūbilans, present participle of jūbilāre "to let out whoops, invoke with shouts" (Late Latin, "sing hymns of joy, be joyous"), from *jū, jō, exclamation expressing strong emotion + -bilāre, as in sībilāre "to hiss"; *jū going back to Indo-European *i̯ū, whence also Middle High German jū, jūch, exclamation of joy, jūchezen "to rejoice," Old Icelandic ýla "to howl," Greek iȳ́, exclamation of amazement, iȳ́zein "to shout, yell"

Note: The meaning of the Late Latin verb has been influenced by jūbilaeus jubilee entry 1, which itself has been influenced formally by jūbilāre.

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jubilant was in 1667

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jubilant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jubilant. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

jubilant

adjective
ju·​bi·​lant ˈjü-bə-lənt How to pronounce jubilant (audio)
: feeling or expressing great joy : exultant
jubilant teammates celebrating their victory
jubilantly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on jubilant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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