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.

Richardson also brings a lighter touch, with Raducanu relaxed and jovial in a pre-tournament chat with British journalists.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Trump, taking a jovial tone, has even joked about his Scottish-born mother having a crush on Charles.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

He found Killick "jovial" and knowledgeable, and was reassured when he told him he had about 100 staff.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

Play is a fitting way to describe Atencio’s contributions to two of Disneyland’s most beloved attractions, where pirates and ghosts are captured at their most frivolous and jovial.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025

Alexandrians easily recognized their queen and her jovial companion.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

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

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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!