Rejoice
/ɹɪˈd͡ʒɔɪs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo be very happy, be delighted, exult; to feel joy.
verbTo have (someone) as a lover or spouse; to enjoy sexually.
Sentence Examples
I rejoice in your success.
Rejoice, lest pleasureless ye die.
When two couples factually mate four spouses really rejoice.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The whole community will ____ when the long drought finally ends this summer.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The crowd began to ____ when the final whistle confirmed their team had won the championship.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English rejoicen, rejoisen, from Old French resjoir. Doublet of rejoy. Compare French réjouir; Spanish regocijar; Portuguese regozijar; Italian gioire
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"At Waterhouses and Hulme End the usual booking office, waiting room and other station accommodation were to be found, but the remaining stations […] were mere stopping places, some of which rejoiced in a small shed for waiting passengers, others without any kind of shelter whatsoever."
— 1945 September and October, H. C. Casserley, “The Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 265:
"Leicester closed out the win to spark emotional scenes as those inside Wembley rejoiced in a landmark victory."
— 2021 May 15, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-1 Leicester”, in BBC Sport:
"ye that are a knyghte wyueles that ye wyl not loue some mayden or gentylwoman /[…]/ but hit is noysed that ye loue quene Gueneuer / and that she hath ordeyned by enchauntement that ye shal neuer loue none other / but her / ne none other damoysel ne lady shall reioyse you"
— 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book VI:
"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:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The whole community will ____ when the long drought finally ends this summer.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The crowd began to ____ when the final whistle confirmed their team had won the championship.