noel means A wish or expression of commemoration of Christmas. It carries an Arena rating of 1646, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, noel ranks #489 of 17,052 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,459 of 17,052 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,769 of 17,052 for Most Sublime Words, #2,890 of 17,052 for Most Beautiful Words.
noel is pronounced /nəʊˈɛl/.
Why “noel” is a great word
An interjection of Christmas cheer, a medieval hymn of the Nativity, or a given name for the season, from Middle English *nowel*, via Anglo-Norman and Middle French *noel* (a variant of *nael*), from Latin *nātālis* (‘natal, relating to birth’), first recorded in English as an exclamation in the 14th century. Unlike “carol,” a general festive song often for communal dance, or “Nativity,” which narrowly denotes the birth event or its theological feast, *noel* is the frozen breath of a chorister in a stone chapel, the hush of a household exchanging gifts as the word is murmured like a blessing, and the quiet dignity of a person who carries Christmas in their name year-round—a reminder that to utter it is to keep alive, in three syllables, the entire human wonder at a story of birth and light.
Etymology
From Middle English nowel, from Anglo-Norman noel, Middle French noel, a variant of nael, from Latin adjective nātālis (“natal, having to do with birth”).
intj
- A wish or expression of commemoration of Christmas.e.g.“And may all my enemies go to hell! / Noël! Noël! Noël! Noël!”
noun
- A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.e.g.“The first Nowell the Angel did say / Was to three poor Shepherds in the fields as they lay[…]”
name
- Christmas.
- A male given name from French.
- A female given name from French.
- A surname originating as a patronymic.
- A city in McDonald County, Missouri, United States.
- A community in East Hants municipality, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.