a. Forms: 4–7 ioyous, (5 -uss, -eos, -eus, -eux, -ouse), 5–6 ioyus, -ouse, (6 -ws, -eous), 7– joyous. [ME. a. AF. joyous = OF. joios, -eus, F. joyeux, f. joie JOY sb.]
1. Having a joyful nature or mood; full of glad feeling; blithe, gladsome, buoyant; also, expressive of, or characterized by, joy; = JOYFUL 1, 2.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 120. More encheyson hadde oure levedy Ioyous and blythe for to be.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 240. The good odure … makyth the herte oppyn and [io]youse.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., IV. 1028. Be Ioyeos now of mynd!
1560. Bible (Genev.), Isa. xxii. 2. A citie full of bruit, a joyous citie.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 515. The Earth Gave sign of gratulation, and each Hill; Joyous the Birds.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 128, ¶ 1. Women in their Nature are much more gay and joyous than Men.
1753. Hawkesworth, Adventurer, 20 Oct., 177. I had now ascended another scale in the climax, and was acknowledged … to be a Joyous Spirit [see also JESSAMY sb. 4].
1827. Hare, Guesses (1859), 241. A laugh, to be joyous, must flow from a joyous heart.
1848. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, xvii. 168. A joyous stir was now audible in the hall.
† b. Const. of or with clause. Obs.
c. 1305. St. Swithin, 36, in E. E. P. (1862), 44. Alle men þat him iknewe ioyous þerof were.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 50 b. I am right ioyous of thy wele and worship.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron. Hen. VI., 84. He was ioyous that power and princely estate was now to him happened.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. v. 70. Wander we to see thy honest sonne, Who will of thy arriuall be full ioyous. Ibid. (1599), Hen. V., V. ii. 9. Right ioyous are we to behold your face.
2. Of things, events, etc.: Inspiring or productive of joy; gladdening, cheerful; = JOYFUL 3.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 753. Thow ioyuss fleiss of Gedion.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 70. It was the ioieust and plesaunt sighte that ever … Lisander had see.
1526. Tindale, Heb. xii. 11. No manner learnynge for the present tyme semeth to be ioyeous but greveous.
c. 1630. Milton, Passion, 3. Of … joyous news of heavenly Infant’s birth, My muse with Angels did divide to sing.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 43. Every return of that joyous season [harvest].
1864. Kirk, Chas. Bold, I. I. i. 450. A new sovereign, on the occasion of his ‘joyous entry,’—as his first visit to a place after his accession was called.
3. Comb.
1820. Shelley, Hymn to Mercury, xxi. Joyous-minded Hermes from the glen Drew the fat spoils.
