jovial

adjective

jo·​vial ˈjō-vē-əl 

-vyəl

1

: characterized by good-humored cheerfulness and conviviality : jolly

a jovial host

a jovial welcome

spent a jovial evening together

2

capitalized : of or relating to Jove

joviality

ˌjō-vē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

jovially

ˈjō-vē-ə-lē 

-vyə-

adverb

Did you know?

Jovial and Birth Dates

In Roman astrology, planets were named after gods, and people were thought to share the personality traits of the god whose planet was rising when they were born. Jupiter, also called Jove, was the chief Roman god and was considered a majestic type who was the source of joy and happiness. The Latin adjective jovialis means "of or relating to Jove." In French, this had become jovial, which English borrowed and used to describe people and things full of cheer or joy.

Synonyms

• blithe
• blithesome
• festive
• gay
• gleeful
• jocose
• jocular
• jocund
• jolly
• laughing
• merry
• mirthful
• sunny

Choose the Right Synonym for jovial

merry, blithe, jocund, jovial, jolly mean showing high spirits or lightheartedness.

merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.

a merry group of revelers

blithe suggests carefree, innocent, or even heedless gaiety.

arrived late in his usual blithe way

jocund stresses elation and exhilaration of spirits.

singing, dancing, and jocund feasting

jovial suggests the stimulation of conviviality and good fellowship.

dinner put them in a jovial mood

jolly suggests high spirits expressed in laughing, bantering, and jesting.

our jolly host enlivened the party

Examples of jovial in a Sentence

In response, an infuriating wink: Alsana always likes to appear jovial at the very moment that her interlocutor becomes hot under the collar. —Zadie Smith, White Teeth, 2001

I felt I was slumming, in my own life. My task was to ward off the drivel … the jovial claptrap of classmates and teachers, the maddening bromides I heard at home. —Susan Sontag, New Yorker, 21 Dec. 1987

For, the people who were shovelling away on the housetops were jovial and full of glee; calling out to one another from the parapets, and now and then exchanging a facetious snowball … —Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843

The audience was in a jovial mood.

He's a very jovial man.

Recent Examples on the Web

Following the jovial conversation—which Vogue Club members helped steer—partygoers enjoyed more music before opening Wildflower Cases gift bags (which included a Club-exclusive discount to the label) before heading down to The Standard East Village’s NO Bar to close the night. —Eoghan O'Donnell, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2024

His jovial vigor is more often crudely gendered and sexualized, sometimes physically. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024

What to Expect at Oktoberfest Oktoberfest, to put it mildly, is a jovial event. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2024

This jovial person starts to shut down bit by bit, and your heart continues to break piece by piece. —Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

jovial

adjective

jo·​vi·​al

ˈjō-vē-əl

: full of or expressing good humor

joviality

ˌjō-vē-ˈal-ət-ē

noun

jovially

ˈjō-vē-ə-lē

adverb