jocular
Americanadjective
adjective
-
characterized by joking and good humour
-
meant lightly or humorously; facetious
Related Words
See jovial.
Other Word Forms
- jocularity noun
- jocularly adverb
- overjocular adjective
- overjocularly adverb
- semijocular adjective
- semijocularly adverb
Etymology
Origin of jocular
First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin joculāris, equivalent to jocul(us) “little joke” ( joc(us) joke + -ulus -ule ) + -āris -ar 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Karlborg’s frequently jocular class commentary landed well with his audience.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
The incomprehensibility of it all, of every awful thing wreaking havoc at once, has Gus in a state of jocular shock.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025
But his jocular manner put many of them at ease, he said.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2024
He had the jocular demeanor of a college tour guide, an energy I hadn’t expected.
From Slate • May 18, 2024
Gebu had two aspects, one noisily jocular, one ferociously quiet.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
