Word Study
revel
CIDE DICTIONARY
revel, n.
See Reveal. [1913 Webster]
A feast with loose and noisy jollity; riotous festivity or merrymaking; a carousal. [1913 Webster]
"This day in mirth and revel to dispend." Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
"Some men ruin . . . their bodies by incessant revels." [1913 Webster]
revel, v. i. [OF. reveler to revolt, rebel, make merry, fr. L. rebellare. See Rebel.].
- To feast in a riotous manner; to carouse; to act the bacchanalian; to make merry. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- To move playfully; to indulge without restraint. Shak. [1913 Webster]
revel, v. t. [L. revellere; re- + vellere to pluck, pull.].
To draw back; to retract. Harvey. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
revel, v. & n.
--v. (revelled, revelling; US reveled, reveling)
1 intr. have a good time; be extravagantly festive.
2 intr. (foll. by in) take keen delight in.
3 tr. (foll. by away) throw away (money or time) in revelry.
--n. (in sing. or pl.) the act or an instance of revelling.
--v. (revelled, revelling; US reveled, reveling)
1 intr. have a good time; be extravagantly festive.
2 intr. (foll. by in) take keen delight in.
3 tr. (foll. by away) throw away (money or time) in revelry.
--n. (in sing. or pl.) the act or an instance of revelling.
Derivative
reveller n. revelry n. (pl. -ies).
Etymology
ME f. OF reveler riot f. L rebellare REBEL v.
THESAURUS
revel
adore, anniversaries, appreciate, bacchanal, ball, banquet, bask in, bat, be pleased with, bender, binge, bout, bust, caper, caracole, carnival, carol, carousal, carouse, celebrate, celebrating, celebration, ceremony, chirp, chirrup, clap hands, commemoration, crow over, cut loose, dance, debauch, delight, delight in, derive pleasure from, devour, dressing ship, drinking bout, eat up, enjoy, escapade, exult, fanfare, fanfaronade, feast, feast on, festival, festivity, fete, fling, flourish of trumpets, freak out on, frisk, frolic, gaiety, gala, gambol, get high on, gloat over, glory, glory in, groove on, hell, hell around, high jinks, holiday, indulge in, jamboree, jollify, jollity, jolly, joy, joyance, jubilate, jubilation, jubilee, lap up, lark, let go, let loose, let off steam, like, lilt, live it up, love, luxuriate in, mad round, make merry, make whoopee, marking the occasion, memorialization, memory, merriment, merrymaking, observance, orgy, ovation, party, ploy, pub-crawl, raise hell, randan, randy, regale, regalement, rejoice, rejoice in, rejoicing, religious rites, relish, remembrance, revel in, reveling, revelment, revelry, riot, riot in, rite, ritual observance, roister, rollick, romp, round of pleasures, salute, salvo, saturnalia, savor, see life, sing, skip, skip for joy, skylark, skylarking, smack the lips, solemn observance, solemnization, spree, step out, swim in, take pleasure in, tear, testimonial, testimonial banquet, testimonial dinner, toast, toot, treat, tribute, triumph, wallow in, wanton, wassail, welter, whistle, whoop it up, whoopee, wingdingROGET THESAURUS
revel
Amusement
VB amuse, entertain, divert, enliven, tickle the fancy, titillate, raise a smile, put in good humor, cause laughter, create laughter, occasion laughter, raise laughter, excite laughter, produce laughter, convulse with laughter, set the table in a roar, be the death of one, recreate, solace, cheer, rejoice, please, interest, treat, regale, amuse oneself, game, play a game, play pranks, play tricks, sport, disport, toy, wanton, revel, junket, feast, carouse, banquet, make merry, drown care, drive dull care away, frolic, gambol, frisk, romp, caper, dance, keep up the ball, run a rig, sow one's wild oats, have one's fling, take one's pleasure, paint the town red, see life, desipere in loco, play the fool, make holiday, keep holiday, go a Maying, while away the time, beguile the time, kill time, dally, smile, simper, smirk, grin, grin like a Cheshire cat, mock, laugh in one's sleeve, laugh, laugh outright, giggle, titter, snigger, crow, snicker, chuckle, cackle, burst out, burst into a fit of laughter, shout, split, roar, shake one's sides, split one's sides, hold both one's sides, roar with laughter, die with laughter.Intemperance
VB be intemperate, indulge, exceed, live well, live high, live high on the fat of the land, live it up, live high on the hog, give a loose to indulgence, wallow in voluptuousness, plunge into dissipation, revel, rake, live hard, run riot, sow one's wild oats, slake one's appetite, slake one's thirst, swill, pamper.For further exploring for "revel" in Webster Dictionary Online