rejoice means to be very happy, be delighted, exult; to feel joy. It carries an Arena rating of 1692, earned across 16 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, rejoice ranks #1,081 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #5,666 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #6,716 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #6,933 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
rejoice is pronounced /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɔɪs/.
Why “rejoice” is a great word
To feel or express a profound and often exultant joy. From Middle English *rejoicen*, *rejoisen*, from Old French *resjoir* (modern French *réjouir*), from the intensive prefix *re-* and *esjoir* (to rejoice), itself from Vulgar Latin *exgaudīre*, combining *ex-* (thoroughly) with Latin *gaudēre* (to rejoice, be glad). Unlike "celebrate," which demands an occasion and a crowd, or "exult," which implies a triumphant crowing over another, to rejoice is joy itself, unmediated and unburdened. It is the silent swelling of the heart at a child's laughter, the uncontainable shout in a sun-drenched field, the collective sigh of relief at news long hoped for—the soul's instinctive and complete yes to a moment of grace.
Etymology
From Middle English rejoicen, rejoisen, from Old French resjoir. Doublet of rejoy. Compare French réjouir; Spanish regocijar; Portuguese regozijar; Italian gioire
verb
- To be very happy, be delighted, exult; to feel joy.e.g.“Obscurity, indeed, is painful to the mind as well as to the eye ; but to bring light from obscurity, by whatever labour, must needs to be delightful and rejoicing.” — 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, Oxford University Press, published 1973, §6:
- To have (someone) as a lover or spouse; to enjoy sexually.
- To make happy, exhilarate.e.g.“Were he [Cain] alive, it would rejoice his soul to see what mischief it had made.” — 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures. Explain'd and exemplify'd in several dissertations:
- To enjoy.e.g.“c. 1449–1455, Reginald Peacock, Represser of over-much weeting [blaming] of the Clergie
his brother Constans next aftir him rejoiced the same west-parti.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).