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
Blackberries are such jovial fruit, their tiny juice sacs pleading for pearly whites to burst them into juice.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
Friendship traces how Craig and his neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), a jovial weatherman, quickly bond and then break apart.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025
During this period, Putnam gave a jovial interview to a reporter from the London Daily Telegraph.
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Austin Shepard Hometown: Northville, MI Fun Fact: Fun-loving Michigan boy Austin has a jovial spirit and the perfect job to keep him Love Island ready — pool boy.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jovial
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Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
Friendship traces how Craig and his neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), a jovial weatherman, quickly bond and then break apart.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025
During this period, Putnam gave a jovial interview to a reporter from the London Daily Telegraph.
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Austin Shepard Hometown: Northville, MI Fun Fact: Fun-loving Michigan boy Austin has a jovial spirit and the perfect job to keep him Love Island ready — pool boy.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 29 May 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 5 Jun. 2025.
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