jubilant

adjective

ju·​bi·​lant ˈjü-bə-lənt 

: feeling or expressing great joy : exultant

the jubilant winner

jubilantly adverb

Synonyms of jubilant

• triumphant
• ecstatic
• proud
• exultant

Examples of jubilant in a Sentence

the nominee's jubilant acceptance speech before the cheering crowd

Recent Examples on the Web

The mood was low-key but jubilant. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Later, as news of the military takeover filtered through to protesters, many were jubilant. —CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025

The shootings cast a pall on what is normally a jubilant season in the Mississippi countryside, as stifling heat gives way to cooler autumn days and former residents return to reconnect with the community of their youth. —Aishvarya Kavi, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

But Smith, a Loyalist, may not have been in as jubilant a mood as his guests. —Victoria Flexner, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025

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

Kids Definition

jubilant

adjective

ju·​bi·​lant ˈjü-bə-lənt 

: feeling or expressing great joy : exultant

jubilant teammates celebrating their victory

jubilantly adverb