Meaning & use
jovial
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Showing a cheerful, sociable and good-humored manner, usually with plenty of laughter.
Grammar: Works before a noun or after a linking verb: a jovial host, or he seemed jovial.
Patterns
- jovial mood
- jovial with someone
Our jovial neighbor greeted everyone at the party with a bear hug.
The coach was in a jovial mood after the win.
Despite the long journey, the travelers stayed jovial all the way.
Word forms
| comparative | more jovial |
|---|---|
| superlative | most jovial |
Common combinations
- jovial mood
- The whole office was in a jovial mood on Friday.
- jovial host
- He was a jovial host who kept every glass full.
- jovial atmosphere
- A jovial atmosphere filled the pub after the match.
- jovial fellow
- The innkeeper was a round, jovial fellow.
- jovial laugh
- His jovial laugh carried across the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cheerful
- Cheerful is the everyday word for a happy mood, while jovial adds a hearty, outgoing, party-loving quality.
- genial
- Genial stresses friendliness and warmth, but not necessarily the loud laughter that jovial suggests.
- merry
- Merry suggests playful high spirits, often at celebrations, and sounds more old-fashioned.
- convivial
- Convivial describes an event or setting that is friendly and lively, whereas jovial usually describes a person's manner.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: jovial or joyful?
jovial vs joyful
Joyful means feeling or showing deep happiness, while jovial describes a hearty, sociable manner and is mostly used for people.
Practice
Which person is best described as jovial?
Choose one answer.
Jovial means hearty, sociable and good-humored, which suits the laughing host. The shy, grumpy and tired people show the opposite or unrelated moods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jovial”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.