jovial
Americanadjective
Related Words
Jovial, jocose, jocular, jocund agree in referring to someone who is in a good humor. Jovial suggests a hearty, joyous humor: a jovial person. Jocose refers to that which causes laughter; it suggests someone who is playful and given to jesting: with jocose and comical airs. Jocular means humorous, facetious, mirthful, and waggish: jocular enough to keep up the spirits of all around him. Jocund, now a literary word, suggests a cheerful, light-hearted, and sprightly gaiety: glad and jocund company.
Other Word Forms
- joviality noun
- jovially adverb
- jovialness noun
- unjovial adjective
- unjovially adverb
Etymology
Origin of jovial
First recorded in 1580–90; from Medieval Latin joviālis “of Jupiter” (the planet, supposed to exert a happy influence), equivalent to Latin jovi- ( Jovian ) + -ālis -al 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.
The jovial royal believes he can persuade Jerry to change course.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
But for now he is a jovial Irish scamp, with the merest hint of a dark streak; where Sherlock comes from money, James, as he’s called here, is at school on a scholarship.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
The dictator was in a jovial mood and the two spoke for four hours, dining on black bread, potato pancakes and an array of meats.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
The British network said Kimmel will "reflect on the past few months in a deeply personal and characteristically jovial address", following his "return to air and his much-publicised criticism of the US administration".
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
It took a full span of days before Ben was his normal, jovial self again.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
