1
as in humorous
given to or marked by mature intelligent humor
made the jocular observation that the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start off with a large fortune
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor
the children at the library were charmed by the jocular storyteller
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jocular
That’s because of her bright and jocular storytelling.
—
Mj Franklin, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Modern American popular culture contains many jocular characters that resemble this folkloric bird, who is delightfully impervious to pain, from cartoon characters such as the Road Runner – an actual bird – to the foulmouthed, self-regenerating antihero Deadpool.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
Indeed, comments immediately arose among fans — some jocular, some serious — that Starkey might be in line to take over in the Foos for Freese.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 May 2025
The film explicitly acknowledges that their sibling rivalry is very Thor and Loki, though the dynamic here is different with Wilson playing uptight preppy to Momoa’s jocular biker viking.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jocular
Mj Franklin, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Modern American popular culture contains many jocular characters that resemble this folkloric bird, who is delightfully impervious to pain, from cartoon characters such as the Road Runner – an actual bird – to the foulmouthed, self-regenerating antihero Deadpool.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
Indeed, comments immediately arose among fans — some jocular, some serious — that Starkey might be in line to take over in the Foos for Freese.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 May 2025
The film explicitly acknowledges that their sibling rivalry is very Thor and Loki, though the dynamic here is different with Wilson playing uptight preppy to Momoa’s jocular biker viking.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jocular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jocular
Adjective
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Introducing Pharrell was none other than Tyler, the Creator, who delivered a humorous speech of admiration and friendship.—
Essence,
Essence,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In terms of scenes that stand out in Part 1, Francesca’s quest to figure out what an orgasm is results in a series of humorous and awkward conversations with various members of the family.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In fact, the more, the merrier!—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Jan. 2026
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Our young hero Spike (Alfie Williams), having abandoned the secluded safety of his island home in the wake of his mother’s death, finds himself at the mercy of this merry band of bloodthirsty pranksters, shepherded by a sadistic Manson-esque leader, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell).—
Katie Walsh,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Blind Summit is a famously witty British theater company, led for more than 25 years by artistic director Mark Down, a famed and much-loved teacher of his craft as well as a performer who becomes at one with his tools, so to speak.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The film, with Jones’ witty script and Aramayo’s standout performance, is an unmissable delight.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The surviving kids begin to suspect something is up, but their attempts to appeal to this world’s sad excuses for adult supervision — a jolly mailman, a blank-faced nurse, and a talking train — just lead to more murders.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
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The jolly grifter gets away with it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On the upside, brilliant solutions or clever ideas might suddenly occur to you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
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NearTap is another clever feature that lets the user adjust the volume level using simple taps of the finger in front of the ear.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This toy features a festive heart shape with seasonal colors ranging from bright red to rainbow colors.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
30 Jan. 2026
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While it's commonly served as an appetizer for festive holiday occasions, why not prepare it for yourself on a snow day?—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Nor has the evidence of his cheerful brokering of money and information with current and former Russian, Israeli, and US government officials amounted to the kind of deep-cover operation some believe.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Amazon’s selection, however, renewed my faith in cheap-and-cheerful bottoms.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But the series has so far introduced Storm End’s Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), the jovial lord also known as the Laughing Storm, who befriends Dunk in the first episode.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Luna squares jovial Jupiter in your 3rd House of Distractions, so brace for interruptions to your calm.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jocular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jocular. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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