Jovial

 WORD OF THE DAY

jovial / adjective / JOH-vee-ul

Definition

1a: characterized by good-humored cheerfulness and conviviality 

1b: jolly

2 (capitalized): of or relating to Jove

Examples

In response, an infuriating wink: Alsana always likes to appear jovial at the very moment that her interlocutor becomes hot under the collar.

— Zadie Smith, White Teeth, 2001

I felt I was slumming, in my own life. My task was to ward off the drivel … the jovial claptrap of classmates and teachers, the maddening bromides I heard at home.

— Susan Sontag, New Yorker, 21 Dec. 1987

Did You Know

"Jupiter, also called Jove, was the chief Roman god and was considered a majestic, authoritative type—just the kind of god to name a massive planet like Jupiter for. 

Our word jovial comes by way of Middle French from the Late Latin adjective jovialis, meaning "of or relating to Jove." 

When English speakers first picked up jovial in the late 16th century, it was a term of astrology used to describe those born under the influence of Jupiter, which, as a natal planet, was believed to impart joy and happiness. 

They soon began applying jovial to folks who shared the good-natured character of Jupiter, regardless of their birth date.