jovial

adjective

jo·​vial ˈjō-vē-əl How to pronounce jovial (audio)
-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 noun
jovially adverb

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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.

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 And in addition to Eugene and Dan Levy’s hosting throughout the night, viewers got to watch a jovial Schitt’s Creek mini-reunion play out as the cast introduced Catherine O’Hara to present the Outstanding Comedy Series award. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2024 Willow Creek functions as both a jovial document of the town itself and, in its later stages, a properly suspenseful horror film. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024 And anyone who’s watched his interviews has noticed his jovial nature and star quality. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for jovial 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jovial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jovial was in 1592

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Dictionary Entries Near jovial

Cite this Entry

“Jovial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jovial. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on jovial

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