Dictionary
jovial
adjective jo·vial \ˈjō-vē-əl, -vyəl\
: full of happiness and joy
Full Definition of JOVIAL
1
capitalized : of or relating to Jove
2
: markedly good-humored especially as evidenced by jollity and conviviality
— jo·vi·al·i·ty \ˌjō-vē-ˈa-lə-tē\ noun
— jo·vial·ly \ˈjō-vē-ə-lē, -vyə-\ adverb
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Examples of JOVIAL
- 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
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First Known Use of JOVIAL
1592
Related to JOVIAL
Synonym Discussion of JOVIAL
merry, blithe, jocund, jovial, jolly mean showing high spirits or lightheartedness. merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity <a merry group of revelers>. blithe suggests carefree, innocent, or even heedless gaiety <arrived late in his usual blithe way>. jocund stresses elation and exhilaration of spirits <singing, dancing, and jocund feasting>. jovial suggests the stimulation of conviviality and good fellowship <dinner put them in a jovial mood>. jolly suggests high spirits expressed in laughing, bantering, and jesting <our jolly host enlivened the party>.
JOVIAL Defined for Kids
jovial
adjective jo·vial \ˈjō-vē-əl\
Definition of JOVIAL for Kids
: 1jolly
— jo·vial·ly adverb
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