What does rejoicing mean?
“Rejoicing” means the expression or celebration of great joy, especially after a welcome event, achievement, or piece of good news. It can describe the feelings of one person, but it more often conveys a shared or public celebration: a community, family, or nation might respond to an announcement “with rejoicing.” The word has a formal, elevated tone and appears especially in journalism, ceremonial language, and traditional descriptions of festivals or victories. Unlike a simple synonym such as “happiness,” “rejoicing” emphasizes active celebration and often suggests that the good news is being marked communally. It can also be used as a participle, as in “the rejoicing crowd” or “a rejoicing family,” describing people who are celebrating or expressing delight.
The expression of great happiness or joy, especially in a public or collective celebration.
"The victory prompted days of rejoicing across the city."
Usually a mass noun; “a rejoicing” is uncommon, and the plural “rejoicings” is rare.
The present participle of “rejoice,” meaning expressing great joy or celebrating.
"The children came rejoicing with the news of their promotion."
Used as a participle, either in a continuous construction or attributively before a noun.
Rare. The noun is normally used as an uncountable mass noun, so “rejoicing” is preferred in standard usage.
"The two rejoicings brought together rival groups."
“Rejoicing” captures both the public celebration of good news and the private joy of the people sharing in it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rejoicing come from?
“Rejoining” and “rejoicing” belong to the word family of “rejoice,” which comes through Old French from Latin roots associated with joy. The English verb developed in the Middle English period, and the noun “rejoicing” reflects the longstanding English practice of forming activity or state nouns with the ending “-ing.” Related forms include “joy,” “joyful,” and “enjoy,” all of which reflect the same broad association with gladness and gladness of heart.
Related word forms
How rejoicing is actually used
The noun is commonly used in formal and literary contexts and often suggests a collective or public celebration, though it can also describe an individual’s joy. “Rejoicing” is normally a mass noun and is not usually counted with “a” or used in the plural.
Easily confused with rejoicing
As a noun, “rejoicing” refers to the celebration or expression of joy itself; as a participle, it describes someone or something that is rejoicing or filled with joy.