rejoice

verb

re·​joice ri-ˈjȯis How to pronounce rejoice (audio)
rejoiced; rejoicing
Synonyms of rejoicenext

transitive verb

: to give joy to : gladden

intransitive verb

: to feel joy or great delight
rejoicer noun
rejoicingly
ri-ˈjȯi-siŋ-lē How to pronounce rejoice (audio)
adverb
Phrases
rejoice in
: have, possess

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of rejoice in a Sentence

We all rejoiced over our friend's good luck. rejoiced over our unexpected victory on the soccer field
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Several Facebook users rejoiced in the outcome for the dogs — now named Huck, Jack, Juno, Linus, Oliver and Zeus. — Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2025 The shelter rejoiced in the two dogs being adopted together. — Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025 But those on Team Jacob rejoiced in his newfound romantic tension with Bella. — Lincee Ray, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2025 Here, Richard was rejoicing in his own reality — his ability to work on a film again, to be a director again —while recognizing its heartbreaking impermanence. — Wash Westmoreland, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rejoice

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French rejois-, stem of rejoier, rejoir, from re- + joir to welcome, enjoy, from Latin gaudēre to be glad — more at joy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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

Phrases Containing rejoice

Rhymes for rejoice

See All Rhymes for rejoice

Browse Nearby Words

rejoice
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rejoice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rejoice. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

rejoice

verb
re·​joice ri-ˈjȯis How to pronounce rejoice (audio)
rejoiced; rejoicing
1
: to give joy to : gladden
news that rejoices the heart
2
: to feel joy or great delight
rejoice over a friend's good luck
rejoicer noun
rejoicingly
-ˈjȯi-siŋ-lē How to pronounce rejoice (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rejoice

Nglish: Translation of rejoice for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All