revel
C1Formal / Literary. It conveys a vivid, slightly old-fashioned, or literary nuance of intense enjoyment.
Definition
Meaning
To take great pleasure or delight in something, especially by engaging in lively, noisy, and often unrestrained festivities or enjoyment.
To enjoy oneself in a lively, exuberant, and sometimes boisterous way. As a noun, it can also mean a lively and noisy celebration or party, though this noun usage is less common today.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a temporary, immersive, and celebratory escape from normal routine. The connotation is generally positive but can edge towards excess or self-indulgence, especially with prepositions like 'in' (revel in).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant dialectal difference in core meaning. The noun form 'revels' (meaning festivities) is slightly more common in UK historical/literary contexts.
Connotations
Slightly more common in literary and journalistic contexts in both varieties. The sense of 'revel in' (e.g., 'revel in the attention') is equally used.
Frequency
Low-to-medium frequency in both; perhaps slightly higher in UK due to its historical/literary presence (e.g., 'Christmas revels').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] revels[Subject] revels in [noun phrase/gerund] (e.g., revel in success)[Subject] revels [adverbial of manner/time] (e.g., revel all night)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Revel in (something)”
- “Revel-rouser (archaic, one who incites revelry)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in figurative/metaphorical use: 'The company continues to revel in its market dominance.'
Academic
Rare in technical writing. Used in literary/historical analysis: 'The characters revel in their newfound freedom.'
Everyday
Used, but with a conscious choice for vividness: 'We're just going to revel in having no plans this weekend.'
Technical
Not applicable in scientific/technical registers.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The students will revel long into the night after their final exams.
- She openly revelled in her opponent's misfortune.
- Let's not revel too much; we have an early start.
American English
- The fans reveled in the team's championship victory.
- He revels in being the center of attention.
- They spent the weekend reveling at the lake house.
adverb
British English
- N/A. 'Revelingly' is theoretically possible but extremely rare and non-standard.
American English
- N/A. No standard adverbial form.
adjective
British English
- The revel crowd spilled out onto the street. (Note: attributive use of noun 'revel' is rare and poetic)
- A revel mood took hold of the festival-goers.
American English
- N/A as a standard adjective. 'Revelous' is archaic/obsolete.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children revelled in the snow.
- It was a party and everyone revelled.
- After winning the tournament, the team revelled in their success.
- He seems to revel in creating controversy.
- The press accused the minister of revelling in the publicity surrounding the scandal.
- Medieval Christmas revels could last for twelve full days.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a REVELation of joy – a REVEL is a noisy, joyful celebration.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOY IS A FEAST/FESTIVAL (to revel is to metaphorically 'feast on' an experience).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'rebel' (мятежник/бунтовать).
- The Russian 'гулять' is a close match for the verb, but 'revel' implies more noise and abandon.
- The noun 'revel' is not as common as 'party' or 'celebration' (вечеринка, празднование).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He revels on his victory.' Correct: 'He revels in his victory.'
- Spelling confusion: 'revel' vs. 'rebel'.
- Using it for mild enjoyment (too strong).
Practice
Quiz
Which preposition most commonly follows the verb 'revel' to mean 'take great delight in'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally positive, describing joyful celebration. However, 'revel in' can have a negative connotation when referring to taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune (schadenfreude).
'Celebrate' is more general and neutral. 'Revel' implies a more intense, noisy, lively, and often unrestrained form of celebration, with a stronger focus on the sensory experience of enjoyment.
Yes, but it's less common in modern everyday English. It typically refers to lively festivities, often in the plural ('the midnight revels') or in historical/literary contexts.
It sits between formal and literary. It's not overly formal for everyday use, but it's a more vivid and specific choice than common synonyms like 'party' or 'celebrate'.