Joyous means full of happiness. A joyous occasion, joyous singing, a joyous noise.
It is more literary than joyful and considerably more so than happy, and it belongs to hymns, wedding speeches and old carols. It describes occasions and sounds rather than moods. Note joyously; and that joyous and joyful are close enough that the choice between them is one of rhythm and register rather than of meaning — joyous sounds older, and that is most of the difference.
1adjectivejoyousFull of happiness.
“The streets were filled with joyous crowds celebrating the end of the war.”
joyous is a quality of happiness.
Also accepted in games: joyful
Old French joieus is joie plus -eus, from Latin gaudium, joy. Rejoice, gaudy and enjoy come from the same gladness.
Old French
joieus
Middle English
joyous
English, today
joyous
From Middle English joyous, joious, from Old French joieus, from joie + -eus.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA