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
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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.
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.
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
The tone was jovial, with the composers bringing musical instruments to perform as Laudenbach sang a quick verse about the film.
—Kambole Campbell, Variety, 12 June 2025
The meme is used to highlight and poke fun at cultural differences between Europeans and Americans, and while often jovial, such memes can adopt a tone of ridicule.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
There’s something very curious and innocent about their dynamic: Dina comes across as much more jovial next to Ellie, who has lived multiple lives at 19.
—Fernanda Pérez Sánchez, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2025
Blackberries are such jovial fruit, their tiny juice sacs pleading for pearly whites to burst them into juice.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jovial
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Kambole Campbell, Variety, 12 June 2025
The meme is used to highlight and poke fun at cultural differences between Europeans and Americans, and while often jovial, such memes can adopt a tone of ridicule.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
There’s something very curious and innocent about their dynamic: Dina comes across as much more jovial next to Ellie, who has lived multiple lives at 19.
—Fernanda Pérez Sánchez, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2025
Blackberries are such jovial fruit, their tiny juice sacs pleading for pearly whites to burst them into juice.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jovial
Cite this Entry
“Jovial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jovial. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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