What is the Latin word for rejoice?

The usual Latin words for “rejoice” are gaudeō, laetor, gestiō; also subrīdeō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“rejoice” in Latin

gaudeōto rejoice, make merry; to take pleasure in, be pleased with, delight in, enjoy laetorto rejoice gestiōto gesticulate; to exult, be joyful, cheerful; to desire, be eager subrīdeōto smile

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

rejoice

Intransitively, gaudere: laetari (to be glad; Vid: JOY): gestire (to show joy by outward gestures): subridere (to smile). To rejoice at anything, gaudere, laetari aliqua re, de or in aliqua re (the latter construction when the joy is represented as lasting: the construction with the accusative almost entirely limited to pronouns in the neuter): delectari aliqua re (to delight in anything): to rejoice very much, gaudere vehementerque laetari: non mediocrem voluptatem animo capere; (in a thing) magnam laetitiam, voluptatem, capere (or percipere) ex re: magnae laetitiae mihi est aliquid: aliqua re gaudio exsultare (to leap or jump for joy): to rejoice secretly, secum tacitum gaudere: to rejoice within one’s self, in sinu gaudere (of malicious joy): to rejoice unspeakably, incredibiliter gaudere: my heart rejoices, impendio mihi animus gaudet (Ter., Eun., 3, 5, 39): to rejoice with anyone, una, gaudere: gaudio alicujus gaudere (rather poetic, Tac., Andr., 5, 5, 8, and caelius, ap. Cic., Ep., 8, 2, 1).

Transitively, gaudio afficere. Vid. DELIGHT, v.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for rejoice?: The usual Latin words for “rejoice” are gaudeō, laetor, gestiō; also subrīdeō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.