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
Sounding a jovial note, Trump called the summit a big success and praised the royal family of the Netherlands for hosting him.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025
Ron is a beefy man in his early forties, with thick glasses and a short dark beard, and has the ample appearance and jovial manner of an Elizabethan innkeeper.
—Robert Finch
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
As Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared in a jovial mood at the Group of Seven summit on Monday, having taken another step toward formalizing the U.S.-U.K. trade deal agreed in May, Trump was asked whether Britain would be protected from further tariffs.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 17 June 2025
This also gives riders a chance to meet each other and bask in the jovial atmosphere that makes the Vätternrundan so special.
—Gregory Wakeman, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for jovial
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Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025
Ron is a beefy man in his early forties, with thick glasses and a short dark beard, and has the ample appearance and jovial manner of an Elizabethan innkeeper.
—Robert Finch
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
As Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared in a jovial mood at the Group of Seven summit on Monday, having taken another step toward formalizing the U.S.-U.K. trade deal agreed in May, Trump was asked whether Britain would be protected from further tariffs.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 17 June 2025
This also gives riders a chance to meet each other and bask in the jovial atmosphere that makes the Vätternrundan so special.
—Gregory Wakeman, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 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 12 Jul. 2025.
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