Adjacent Words

Jovial definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

JO'VIAL, a. [from Jove, supra.] Under the influence of Jupiter, the planet.
--The fixed stars astrologically differenced by the planets, and esteemed Martial or Jovial according to the colors whereby they answer these planets.
JO'VIAL, a.
1. Gay; merry; airy; joyous; jolly; as a jovial youth; a jovial throng.
2. Expressive of mirth and hilarity.
His odes are some of them panegyrical, others moral, the rest are jovial or bacchanalian.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: full of or showing high-spirited merriment; "when hearts were young and gay"; "a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company"- Wordsworth; "the jolly crowd at the reunion"; "jolly old Saint Nick"; "a jovial old gentleman"; "have a merry Christmas"; "peals of merry laughter"; "a mirthful laugh" [syn: gay, jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1592 1. capitalized of or relating to Jove 2. markedly good-humored especially as evidenced by jollity and conviviality Synonyms: see merry • joviality noun • jovially adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 merry. 2 convivial. 3 hearty and good-humoured. Derivatives: joviality n. jovially adv. Etymology: F f. LL jovialis of Jupiter (as JOVE), with ref. to the supposed influence of the planet Jupiter on those born under it

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Jovial Jo"vi*al, a. [F., fr. L. Jovialis pertaining to Jove. The planet Jupiter was thought to make those born under it joyful or jovial. See Jove.] 1. Of or pertaining to the god, or the planet, Jupiter. [Obs.] Our jovial star reigned at his birth. --Shak. The fixed stars astrologically differenced by the planets, and esteemed Martial or Jovial according to the colors whereby they answer these planets. --Sir T. Browne. 2. Sunny; serene. [Obs.] ``The heavens always joviall.'' --Spenser. 3. Gay; merry; joyous; jolly; mirth-inspiring; hilarious; characterized by mirth or jollity; as, a jovial youth; a jovial company; a jovial poem. Be bright and jovial among your guests. --Shak. His odes are some of them panegyrical, others moral; the rest are jovial or bacchanalian. --Dryden. Note: This word is a relic of the belief in planetary influence. Other examples are saturnine, mercurial, martial, lunatic, etc. Syn: Merry; joyous; gay; festive; mirthful; gleeful; jolly; hilarious.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you describe a person as jovial, you mean that they are happy and behave in a cheerful way. (WRITTEN) Father Whittaker appeared to be in a jovial mood... ADJ • joviality ...his old expansive joviality. • jovially 'No problem,' he said jovially. ADV: ADV with v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Merry, joyous, gay, airy, mirthful. See joyful.

Moby Thesaurus

affable, amiable, bantering, blithe, blithesome, boon, buxom, chaffing, convivial, facetious, festal, festive, free and easy, frivolous, gala, gay, genial, gladsome, gleeful, good-natured, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, hilarious, humorous, jocose, jocular, jocund, jolly, jollying, joshing, joyful, joyous, laughter-loving, lighthearted, merry, merrymaking, mirth-loving, mirthful, on the loose, rejoicing, risible, sociable