S. E. White
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In ancient Roman astrology, people were thought to share the personality traits of the god whose planet was rising when they were born. The largest planet was named after the chief Roman god Jupiter, also called Jove. Jove was a sky god and a bringer of light, as well as a great protector who kept heroes focused on being loyal to the gods, the state, and family. Ancient mythology is full of stories of Jupiter (Zeus in the Greek myths) behaving badly, but jovial points only to the joy and happiness of a supremely powerful god: it describes the cheerful and jolly among us. (Jovian is the adjective that describes what is simply related to Jove/Jupiter.) Jovial has historically been contrasted with saturnine, which describes those with a gloomy or surly disposition. Sad Saturn was the father of Jupiter and his siblings, and he was exiled (understandably) for swallowing them all.
Examples of jovial in a Sentence
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.
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
Live music and delicious drinks bolster the jovial atmosphere.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
The Tartan Army, armed with its bagpipes and jovial spirit, has gone viral since traveling to North America where it’s taken over Boston in style.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Tatiana’s bubbly and blithe sister Olga (danced Thursday by Anais Bueno), is engaged to an equally jovial friend of Onegin’s named Vladimir Lensky (Xavier Núñez), who is the one that introduced Onegin to Tatiana.
—
Lauren Warnecke,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jovial
Cite this Entry
“Jovial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jovial. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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