Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Rejoice

Re-joice′

(rē̍-jois′)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Rejoiced
(-joist′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Rejoicing
(-joi′s?ng)
.]
[OE.
rejoissen
, OF.
resjouir
,
resjoir
, F.
réjouir
; pref.
re-
re- + OF.
esjouir
,
esjoir
, F.
éjouir
, to rejoice; pref.
es-
(L.
ex-
) + OF.
jouir
,
joir
, F.
jouir
, from L.
gaudere
to rejoice. See
Joy
.]
To feel joy; to experience gladness in a high degree; to have pleasurable satisfaction; to be delighted.
“O, rejoice beyond a common joy.”
Shak.
I will be glad and
rejoice
in thy mercy.
Ps. xxxi. 7.
Syn. To delight; joy; exult; triumph.

Re-joice′

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To enjoy.
[Obs.]
Bp. Peacock.
2.
To give joy to; to make joyful; to gladden.
I me
rejoysed
of my liberty.
Chaucer.
While she, great saint,
rejoices
heaven.
Prior.
Were he [Cain] alive, it would
rejoice
his soul to see what mischief it had made.
Arbuthnot.
Syn. – To please; cheer; exhilarate; delight.

Re-joice′

,
Noun.
The act of rejoicing.
Sir T. Browne.

Webster 1828 Edition


Rejoice

REJOICE

,
Verb.
I.
rejois'.
To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Prov. 29.
I will rejoice in thy salvation. Ps. 9.

REJOICE

,
Verb.
T.
rejois'. To make joyful; to gladden; to animate with lively pleasurable sensations; to exhilarate.
Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father. Prov. 29.
While she, great saint, rejoices heaven.

Definition 2024


rejoice

rejoice

English

Alternative forms

Verb

rejoice (third-person singular simple present rejoices, present participle rejoicing, simple past and past participle rejoiced)

  1. (intransitive) To be very happy, be delighted, exult; to feel joy. [from 14thc.]
    • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, Oxford University Press, 1973, §6:
      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.
  2. (obsolete, transitive) To have (someone) as a lover or spouse; to enjoy sexually. [15th-16thc.]
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter x, in Le Morte Darthur, book VI:
      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
  3. (transitive) To make happy, exhilarate. [from 15thc.]
    • John Arbuthnot (1667-1735)
      Were he [Cain] alive, it would rejoice his soul to see what mischief it had made.
    • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber, 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p.790-1:
      But good news awaited them in the form of permission to travel about the area replenishing medical stocks in hospitals and clinics, and this task was delegated to Constance, as the newcomer, a fact which rejoiced her.
  4. (obsolete) To enjoy.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Peacock to this entry?)

Translations