jubilant
JOO-bih-lunt
/ˈdʒuːbɪlənt/
Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.
Implies outward, vocal, public celebration following a hard-fought victory or triumph.
The story behind the word. Jubilant comes from Latin 'jubilare', which meant to shout for joy or utter wild cries of triumph. It was influenced by Hebrew 'yobel' (a ram's horn sounded to announce a holy year of jubilee).
Word relationships
- exultant: Exultant emphasizes triumphant pride over a defeated opponent or obstacle.
- triumphant: Triumphant stresses the victory itself, whereas jubilant stresses noisy, joyful celebration.
- mournful: Mournful expresses deep sorrow and grief.
- sorrowful: Sorrowful describes feeling or showing grief.
Commonly confused with
- jubilee: Jubilee is a noun referring to a special anniversary celebration, while jubilant is an adjective describing triumphant joy.
Word family
- jubilation (noun): A feeling of great happiness and triumph.
- jubilantly (adverb): In a jubilant, triumphant manner.
Collocations
- jubilant crowd
- jubilant celebration
- jubilant mood
- jubilant shouts
Idioms & expressions
- shout from the rooftops
Example sentences
- "The jubilant crowd surged into the streets as the election results were announced." Public celebration
- "Jubilant supporters cheered wildy when their home team scored the winning goal." Sporting achievement
Memory hook
JUBILANT sounds like JUBILEE—a massive, noisy celebration where everyone shouts for joy. Shouting triumph.
When not to use
Avoid when describing minor, ordinary daily pleasures.
Fun facts
- In ancient shepherd traditions, 'jubilare' specifically meant the loud joyous calls shepherds made across fields.
Related words
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