jovial

[joh-vee-uhl] / ˈdʒoʊ vi əl /

ADJECTIVE

happy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

affable amiable buoyant cheery chipper convivial cordial festive good-natured jolly lighthearted pleasant sociable

WEAK

airy animated bantering blithe blithesome bouncy chaffing chirpy companionable conversable daffy delightful dizzy enjoyable facetious festal gay glad gleeful hilarious humorous jocose jocund jokey jollying joshing jubilant larking loony lots of laughs merry mirthful nutty off-the-wall

Antonyms

STRONGEST

depressed disagreeable gloomy hateful heavy-hearted mean surly unfriendly unhappy unpleasant unsociable

WEAK

sad

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"He was upbeat, and he had quite a jovial way about him."

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

The dictator was in a jovial mood and the two spoke for four hours, dining on black bread, potato pancakes and an array of meats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

The large-scale audience participation of “Twenty-Sided Tavern” naturally invites a jovial, party-like atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

The Getty Villa survived the fires and it can survive this jovial, if half-baked, Sophoclean circus.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025

“Adek,” I said, my tone as falsely jovial as his.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Vocabulary lists containing jovial

The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Words to Capture Your Joy

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!