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
One of the most striking elements of the campaign was the inclusion of comedy legend Dave Chappelle as the narrator, sharing seriousness followed by jovial excitement for achievement.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Johnson, though, said some of his conversations with Trump about the topic were jovial.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Two years ago, Fortune Magazine wrote about the erroneous link between Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame and the fighting Phoenix of Elon University, and the tone was mostly jovial.
—Josh Shaffer, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
Everyone knows this teacher as the jovial, mustached Mr. Skyberg, whose first name appears in the novel only as a blank gray box.
—Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jovial
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Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Johnson, though, said some of his conversations with Trump about the topic were jovial.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Two years ago, Fortune Magazine wrote about the erroneous link between Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame and the fighting Phoenix of Elon University, and the tone was mostly jovial.
—Josh Shaffer, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
Everyone knows this teacher as the jovial, mustached Mr. Skyberg, whose first name appears in the novel only as a blank gray box.
—Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 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 19 Apr. 2025.
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