Standard Lemma guide

joyful

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • joi'fəl
  • /ˈd͡ʒɔɪfl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: JH OY1 F AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Feeling or causing joy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The children were joyful on the first day of summer break.
  • Her joyful smile lit up the room.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: delighted, joyous, air-headed, blissed out, blissful, enrapt, rapt, cock-a-hoop, ecstatic, elated, euphoric, exultant, filled with happiness, giddy, gladsome, gleeful, greatly pleased, joyful, lighthearted, orgasmic, on cloud nine, over the moon, overjoyed, thrilled, walking on air

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

full of or producing joy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • make a joyful noise
  • a joyful occasion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: sorrowful

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

full of high-spirited delight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a joyful heart

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: elated, gleeful, jubilant

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From joy + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

82 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: сӱӱнчилӱ (süünčilü) — feeling or causing joy
  • Arabic: سَعِيد (saʕīd) — feeling or causing joy
  • Arabic: مُفْرِح (mufriḥ) — feeling or causing joy
  • Arabic: مَسْرُور (masrūr) — feeling or causing joy
  • Armenian: ուրախ (urax) — feeling or causing joy
  • Azerbaijani: sevindirici — feeling or causing joy
  • Azerbaijani: sevinən — feeling or causing joy
  • Azerbaijani: şad — feeling or causing joy
  • Belarusian: ра́дасны (rádasny) — feeling or causing joy
  • Belarusian: вясёлы (vjasjóly) — feeling or causing joy
  • Bulgarian: ра́достен (rádosten) — feeling or causing joy
  • Bulgarian: ве́сел (vésel) — feeling or causing joy
  • Catalan: joiós — feeling or causing joy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 快樂 /快乐 (kuàilè) — feeling or causing joy
  • Czech: radostný — feeling or causing joy
  • Czech: veselý — feeling or causing joy
  • Finnish: iloinen — feeling or causing joy
  • French: allègre — feeling or causing joy
  • French: joyeux — feeling or causing joy
  • Georgian: მხიარული (mxiaruli) — feeling or causing joy
  • Georgian: ბედნიერი (bednieri) — feeling or causing joy
  • Georgian: სიხარულით აღსავსე (sixarulit aɣsavse) — feeling or causing joy
  • German: freudig — feeling or causing joy
  • German: erfreulich — feeling or causing joy
  • German: erfreut — feeling or causing joy
  • Hindi: हर्षित (harṣit) — feeling or causing joy
  • Hindi: आनंदित (ānandit) — feeling or causing joy
  • Hungarian: vidám — feeling or causing joy
  • Hungarian: örömteli — feeling or causing joy
  • Hungarian: örvendetes — feeling or causing joy
  • Ido: joyoza — feeling or causing joy
  • Ido: joyema — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: aiteasach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: áthasach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: áthasúil — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: lainneach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: seaghsach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: suáilceach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: subhach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: urghairdeach — feeling or causing joy
  • Irish: lúcháireach — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: gioioso — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: lieto — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: allegro — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: felice — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: gaio — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: festante — feeling or causing joy
  • Italian: festoso — feeling or causing joy
  • Japanese: 嬉しい (ureshii) — feeling or causing joy
  • Korean: 기쁘다 (gippeuda) — feeling or causing joy
  • Latin: gaudens — feeling or causing joy
  • Latvian: dzīvespriecīgs — feeling or causing joy
  • Latvian: jautrs — feeling or causing joy
  • Macedonian: радосен (radosen) — feeling or causing joy
  • Macedonian: весел (vesel) — feeling or causing joy
  • Māori: harakoa — feeling or causing joy
  • Māori: matakuikui — feeling or causing joy
  • Marathi: आनंदी (ānandī) — feeling or causing joy
  • Middle English: gamely — feeling or causing joy
  • Mongolian: жаргалтай (žargaltaj) — feeling or causing joy
  • Khiamniungan Naga: mōnglīng — feeling or causing joy
  • Norman: jouaiyeux — feeling or causing joy
  • Old English: wynfæst — feeling or causing joy
  • Old Tupi: oryb — feeling or causing joy
  • Old Tupi: ory — feeling or causing joy
  • Polish: radosny — feeling or causing joy
  • Polish: wesoły — feeling or causing joy
  • Portuguese: alegre — feeling or causing joy
  • Portuguese: gozoso — feeling or causing joy
  • Russian: ра́достный (rádostnyj) — feeling or causing joy
  • Russian: весёлый (vesjólyj) — feeling or causing joy
  • Slovak: radostný — feeling or causing joy
  • Slovak: veselý — feeling or causing joy
  • Slovene: vesẹ̑l — feeling or causing joy
  • Spanish: alegre — feeling or causing joy
  • Spanish: gozoso — feeling or causing joy
  • Swedish: glädjerik — feeling or causing joy
  • Ottoman Turkish: قریر (karir) — feeling or causing joy
  • Ukrainian: ра́дісний (rádisnyj) — feeling or causing joy
  • Ukrainian: весе́лий (vesélyj) — feeling or causing joy
  • Vietnamese: vui — feeling or causing joy
  • Vietnamese: vui vẻ — feeling or causing joy
Real reading context

joyful in complete knowledge articles

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