Meaning & use
jump for joy
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiomfigurative
To feel or show great happiness, often because of good news.
Grammar: No object follows; the verb jump changes form: she jumped for joy.
Patterns
- jump for joy when something happens
- could have jumped for joy
The children jumped for joy when they heard school was closed.
I could have jumped for joy when the results came back clean.
She jumped for joy at the news that her sister was coming home.
phraseidiom
To leap into the air, literally, because you are so delighted.
Grammar: Can be literal, with a real jump: the winners jumped for joy on the podium.
Patterns
- jump for joy on the spot
The fans jumped for joy as the final goal went in.
He jumped for joy in the driveway when he saw his new bike.
The team jumped for joy together after crossing the finish line.
Word forms
| third person singular | jumps for joy |
|---|---|
| past tense | jumped for joy |
| past participle | jumped for joy |
| -ing form | jumping for joy |
Common combinations
- could have jumped for joy
- I could have jumped for joy when I got the job.
- jump for joy at the news
- They jumped for joy at the news of the baby.
- almost jump for joy
- She almost jumped for joy when the bus finally arrived.
- make someone jump for joy
- A free ticket would make him jump for joy.
- jumping for joy
- The kids were jumping for joy in the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be over the moon
- Be over the moon is a British idiom with the same joy but without any suggestion of physical movement.
- rejoice
- Rejoice is more formal and can describe quiet or shared celebration, while jump for joy suggests a lively reaction.
- be thrilled
- Be thrilled is neutral and general, while jump for joy gives a more vivid picture of delight.
- be elated
- Be elated is more formal and describes a lasting high spirit rather than a quick burst of excitement.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: jump for joy or jump for it?
jump for joy vs jump for it
Jump for it means to leap to escape or get something, not to show happiness.
Practice
When Lina heard she had won a scholarship, she wanted to ___.
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is jump for joy. The other prepositions are tempting but are not used in this phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jump for joy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.