jovial

UK: /ˈdʒəʊviəl/ US: /ˈdʒoʊviəl/ ,( jō′vē əl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

jo•vi•al /ˈdʒoʊviəl/   adj. 

1. showing hearty good humor or a spirit of friendliness; cheerful;
   jolly:
   a jovial smile.

jo•vi•al•i•ty /ˌdʒoʊviˈælɪti/  n. [uncountable]
jo•vi•al•ly, adv.: 

He greeted her jovially.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

jo•vi•al  ( jō′vē əl), adj. 

1. endowed with or characterized by a hearty, joyous humor or a spirit of good-fellowship:
   a wonderfully jovial host.
2. Mythology (cap.) of or pertaining to the god Jove, or Jupiter.

• Medieval Latin joviālis of Jupiter (the planet, supposed to exert a happy influence), equivalent. to Latin jovi- (see Jovian) + -ālis -al¹
• 1580–90

jo′vi•al•ly, adv. 
jo′vi•al•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. merry, jolly, convivial, gay, joyful, mirthful.
  Jovial, jocose, jocular, jocund agree in referring to someone who is in a good humor.
  Jovial suggests a hearty, joyous humor:
  a jovial person.
  Jocose refers to that which causes laughter; it suggests someone who is playful and given to jesting:
  with jocose and comical airs.
  Jocular means humorous, facetious, mirthful, and waggish:
  jocular enough to keep up the spirits of all around him.
  Jocund, now a literary word, suggests a cheerful, light-hearted, and sprightly gaiety:
  glad and jocund company.

Antonyms

• 1. gloomy.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

jovial / ˈdʒəʊvɪəl/ adjective

1. having or expressing convivial humour; jolly

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin joviālis of (the planet) Jupiter, considered by astrologers to foster good humour

ˌjoviˈality, ˈjovialness noun

ˈjovially adverb