revel

1 of 2

verb

rev·​el ˈre-vəl How to pronounce revel (audio)
reveled or revelled; reveling or revelling ˈre-və-liŋ How to pronounce revel (audio)
ˈrev-liŋ

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in a revel : carouse
2
: to take intense pleasure or satisfaction
reveled in the quiet after everyone had gone

revel

2 of 2

noun

: a usually wild party or celebration

Examples of revel in a Sentence

Verb reveling all night is not conducive to a productive next day at work Noun in Finland, Midsummer Day ushers in a nationwide revel as the Finns celebrate the endless hours of sunlight with bonfires and parties
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Some viewers saw the videos as evidence of the absurdity of global e-commerce run amok; some even reveled at the return of an iconic American crime. Malia Wollan, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024 In the summer, travelers revel under the midnight sun that never sets. Jake Emen, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2024 This time of year can be especially isolating when those around us are seemingly joyful, happily shopping, baking, and reveling at festive get-togethers from mid-December through the New Year. Melissa Willets, Parents, 20 Dec. 2023 Burnet shared with Entertainment Tonight that her late partner — who died on Aug. 26 at age 99 — would have reveled and joked about making it to 100. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 Hustlers resolved long reveling beneath our hot star. Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 There were hors d’oeuvres and liquor, and all the brass was going to come back there to revel. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2023 Although puzzlers qualify for the event on a national level, most attend just for fun and for the community — to revel with people who share in the same nerdy delight. Siobhan Roberts Chloë Ellingson, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023 The red-roomed supper club's pianist was joined by the band, where ringmasters, cotton candy vendors, caged plush tigers, models on stilt walkers, balloon-animal artists, and plate-spinning clowns reveled into the wee hours. Vogue, 28 Oct. 2023
Noun
Seduction through the ear: a world of revels and forgetting and joy. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and friends will raise their third Lombardi Trophy in five years and revel with Chiefs fans in the wake of Sunday’s 25-22 overtime victory over the 49ers. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024 These chocolate, nut, and oat revel bars are an all-time favorite of many on the Better Homes & Gardens staff. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2023 The Breen office was hip to the scam Hollywood always played in the gangster pictures — revel for 85 minutes in the gunplay, fast cars, cool clothes, and slinky molls before exacting a crime-does-not-pay penalty in the last five minutes. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 July 2023 The comedy follows four young lovers and a bumbling band of players in an enchanted forest realm of fairies and moonlight revels. The Courier-Journal, 2 June 2023 On the interior of the cup, a bearded man and a woman in partial dress recline on a couch at a symposium, or drinking revel. Tom Mashberg, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023 Daniel Lee Gallegos and his band Sangre Joven of Las Vegas, N.M., hold jam sessions on Facebook for the nuevomexicano diaspora, and Carlos Medina, a comedian and musician, revels in the dialect’s playful creativity. Simon Romero Desiree Rios, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2023 There’s a loose message about accepting differences and opening your minds to new ways of thinking, but this show revels in the best sort of old-fashioned nonsense served in a deliciously entertaining way. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French reveler, literally, to rebel, from Latin rebellare

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near revel

Cite this Entry

“Revel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

revel

1 of 2 verb
rev·​el ˈrev-əl How to pronounce revel (audio)
reveled or revelled; reveling or revelling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce revel (audio)
1
: to take part in a revel : be noisy in a festive manner
2
: to take great delight in something
reveler noun
or reveller
-(ə-)lər

revel

2 of 2 noun
: a noisy or merry celebration

More from Merriam-Webster on revel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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