Meaning & use
joyful
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Feeling or showing great happiness and delight.
Grammar: Describes people or their expressions; can be used before a noun or after a linking verb.
Patterns
- joyful person
- be joyful about something
The children were joyful when they saw the snow.
She gave a joyful laugh.
He felt joyful after hearing the good news.
adjectivecomparable
Causing people to feel great happiness.
Grammar: Usually before a noun, describing events or occasions.
Patterns
- joyful occasion
- joyful news
It was a joyful celebration for the whole family.
The wedding was a joyful event.
We shared a joyful moment together.
Word forms
| comparative | more joyful |
|---|---|
| superlative | most joyful |
Common combinations
- joyful occasion
- The graduation was a joyful occasion.
- joyful noise
- The children made a joyful noise in the playground.
- joyful celebration
- The festival ended with a joyful celebration.
- feel joyful
- I feel joyful when I'm with my friends.
Synonyms and how they differ
- happy
- More general and less intense; 'joyful' suggests a stronger, more expressive happiness.
- cheerful
- Often describes a person's usual mood; 'joyful' is more about a moment or event.
- delighted
- Feeling very pleased about something specific; 'joyful' can be broader and more emotional.
Opposites
Word family
- joy noun
- A feeling of great happiness.
- joyfully adverb
- In a joyful way.
- joyfulness noun
- The state of being joyful.
- joyless adjective
- Not feeling or giving joy; gloomy.
Commonly confused: joyful or joyous?
joyful vs joyous
Very similar, but 'joyous' is slightly more literary and often describes events or atmospheres.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'joyful' is followed by 'about' when expressing the reason for the happiness. The other prepositions do not collocate naturally with 'joyful' in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “joyful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.