Definition of JOCUND

Choose the Right Synonym for jocund

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

The Tricky Etymology of Jocund

Don't let the etymology of jocund play tricks on you. The word comes from jucundus, a Latin word meaning "agreeable" or "delightful," and ultimately from the Latin verb juvare, meaning "to help." But jucundus looks and sounds a bit like jocus, the Latin word for "joke." These two roots took a lively romp through many centuries together and along the way the lighthearted jocus influenced the spelling and meaning of jucundus, an interaction that eventually produced our Modern English word jocund in the 14th century.

Examples of jocund in a Sentence

old friends engaged in jocund teasing

Recent Examples on the Web There’s a feeling of joy that comes with walking into Jovanina’s Broken Italian, a jocund eight-month-old eatery that’s part of LoDo’s recent restaurant renaissance. — Daliah Singer, The Know, "Restaurant review: The food satisfies, but Jovanina’s good looks are what really entice diners," 6 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jocund.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.