What does revel mean?
Revel means to celebrate or enjoy oneself with uninhibited enthusiasm. It is especially associated with parties, festivals, public performances, and other lively occasions, but it can also describe the pleasure of achieving something or confronting a challenging situation: a photographer might revel in the difficulty of finding a subject, or an athlete might revel in a hard-fought victory. The expression “revel in” is particularly common and suggests taking conspicuous delight in a quality, activity, or circumstance. The word has a festive, slightly literary tone and conveys more abandon than the more neutral “celebrate.” Historically, “revel” was also a noun meaning a celebration or a period of communal merrymaking, although that use now sounds archaic. Its associations with communal joy and lively celebration remain central to the modern verb.
To celebrate or enjoy oneself enthusiastically and uninhibitedly.
"The town reveled for three days when the festival began."
Common with the construction “revel in,” meaning to take great delight in something.
A celebration, entertainment, or period of communal merrymaking.
"The old hall was filled with music and dancing at the winter revel."
This noun is now chiefly archaic or literary and survives especially in the expression “Christmas revel.”
The plural is used for separate celebrations or entertainments and is now chiefly literary or archaic.
"The annual revels included music, dancing, and feasting."
To revel is to make merry without apology: the word carries the joy of a feast, a performance, or any moment worth abandoning restraint for.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does revel come from?
The word entered Middle English through Anglo-French reveler, meaning to take part in celebrations or festivities. That form developed from revel, a celebration associated with revelry, and ultimately from Medieval Latin revelare, “to rebel,” with senses shifting toward public celebration and noisy festivity.
Related word forms
How revel is actually used
In modern use, “revel in” is especially common and can suggest intense, sometimes uncritical enjoyment: “reveled in his own success.” The word may sound literary or celebratory; “whoop it up” is more informal, while “rejoice” is more formal.
Easily confused with revel
To revel is to celebrate or take pleasure, whereas to revile is to attack someone with abusive language.