Meaning & use
joyous
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Feeling or showing great happiness, often in a way that others can see or hear.
Grammar: Goes before a noun or after a linking verb, with more and most: a joyous crowd; the crowd was joyous.
Patterns
- joyous about something
- joyous at something
A joyous crowd filled the square when the news arrived.
She gave a joyous laugh and hugged everyone nearby.
The children were joyous as the first snow began to fall.
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Marked by or bringing happiness, used especially of occasions, news, and music.
Grammar: Usually describes an event or sound: a joyous occasion, joyous music.
Patterns
- a joyous occasion
- a joyous celebration
The wedding was a joyous occasion for both families.
The choir ended with a joyous hymn.
Her return from the hospital was joyous news for the whole town.
Word forms
| comparative | more joyous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most joyous |
Common combinations
- joyous occasion
- A graduation is always a joyous occasion.
- joyous celebration
- The village held a joyous celebration after the harvest.
- joyous laughter
- Joyous laughter echoed down the hallway.
- joyous reunion
- The soldiers' joyous reunion with their families was filmed.
- joyous news
- We received joyous news about the baby this morning.
- joyous music
- Joyous music poured out of the open windows.
Synonyms and how they differ
- joyful
- Joyful is the more common everyday word, while joyous sounds a little more formal and is often used for events.
- jubilant
- Jubilant suggests triumphant, noisy happiness after a success, which joyous does not necessarily imply.
- elated
- Elated describes a person's own lifted mood, usually after something good has happened, and is rarely used for occasions.
- merry
- Merry is lighter and more playful, and tends to suggest cheerful fun rather than deep happiness.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: joyous or joyful?
joyous vs joyful
Joyful and joyous overlap, but joyful is more common for a person's feelings and joyous is a little more formal, often chosen for celebrations.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence: The whole family gathered for a ___ celebration of her graduation.
Choose one answer.
Joyous is an adjective describing a happy celebration. Sorrowful and tiresome do not fit the mood, and solemnly is an adverb, so it cannot modify a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “joyous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.