jovial
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈd͡ʒəʊ.vɪ.əl/
ipa: /ˈd͡ʒoʊ.vɪ.əl/
note: Appalachians, archaic
ipa: /ˈd͡ʒoʊ.vəl/
Forms: form: more jovial
form: most jovial
form: joviall
Etymology: First attested in 1590; borrowed from Middle French jovial (“under the influence of Jupiter; of Jove; jovial, jolly”), from Italian gioviale (“(now obsolete) born under the influence of the planet Jupiter”) (attested in Dante, Paradiso, canto XVIII, early 14th century), from Late Latin Ioviālis (“relating to the Roman god Jupiter”), from Iuppiter, Iovis (“the Roman god Jove or Jupiter, counterpart of the Greek god Zeus”) (from Proto-Indo-European *dyew- (“to be bright; heaven, sky”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); analysable as Jove + -ial.
Sense 1 (“cheerful and good-humoured”) refers to the fact that individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter were believed to have that disposition.
Senses: examples: text: A melancholy boddy is not the kindeſt nurſe for a chearely minde, (the joviall complexion is ſoverainly beholding to nature,) […]
ref: 1593, Gabriell Haruey [i.e., Gabriel Harvey], Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. […] (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London]: [s.n.], [1870], →OCLC, page 161:
text: The moſt ſecure, happy, Ioviall & merry in the worlds eſteeme, are Princes & great men, free from melancholy, but for their cares, miſeries, ſuſpicions, Iealoſies, diſcontents, folly, & madneſſe, I referre you to Xenophons Tyrannus, where king Hieron diſcourſeth at large with Simonides the Poet, of this ſubject.
ref: 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Democritvs Ivnior to the Reader”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, page 57:
text: But being ill-used by the above-mentioned widow, he was very serious for a year and a half; and though, his temper being naturally jovial, he at last got over it, he grew careless of himself, and never dressed afterwards.
ref: 1711 March 13 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “FRIDAY, March 2, 1710–1711”, in The Spectator, number 2; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 88:
text: [I]n polite ſocieties, he is the eaſy, well-bred man of faſhion; and, in the more convivial parties, he is the jovial companion.
ref: 1790 August, “Art V. The Devil upon Two Sticks in England: Being a Continuation of Le Diable Boiteux of Le Sage. 12mo. 4 Vols. about 230 Pages in each. 12s. Sewed. Walter, Piccadilly. 1790. [book review]”, in The Monthly Review; or, Literary Journal, Enlarged, volume II, London: Printed for R[alph] Griffiths; and sold by T[homas] Becket, […], →OCLC, page 392:
text: At length, my friends, the feaſt of life is o’er; / I’ve eat ſufficient, I can drink no more: / My nigh is come; I’ve ſpent a jovial day; ’Tis time to part; but, oh!—what is to pay?
ref: 1797, Richard Graves, “On the Death of an Epicure”, in Select Epigrams. In Two Volumes, volume II, London: Printed by and for Sampson Low, […]; and sold by W. H. Lunn, […], →OCLC, page 31:
text: Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious!
ref: 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Five. The End of It.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 154–155:
text: A long, jovial, inane laugh broke the sudden silence which had fallen over everyone.
ref: 1905 January 12, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “Lord Grenville’s Ball”, in The Scarlet Pimpernel, popular edition, London: Greening & Co., published 20 March 1912, →OCLC, page 115:
text: She takes the whole thing with desperate seriousness. But the others are all easy and jovial—thinking about the good fare that is soon to be eaten, about the hired fly, about anything.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXXIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 267:
text: [A] jovial Santa Claus with an understanding heart and an attentive ear— […]
ref: 1951 December, Rock Island Lines News Digest, volume X, number 12, Chicago, Ill.: Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company, →OCLC, page 1:
synonyms: word: berserk
word: blissed out
word: blithe
word: buoyant
word: blithesome
word: bonnie
word: bright
word: cheerful
word: cheerly
word: cheery
word: chuffed
word: cock-a-hoop
word: content
word: contented
word: convivial
word: delighted
word: ebullient
word: ecstatic
word: elated
word: euphoric
word: excited
word: exhilarated
word: exuberant
word: exultant
word: fat and happy
word: gassed
word: gay
word: gayful
word: glad
word: gladsome
word: gleeful
word: gleesome
word: happy
word: hearty
word: high on life
word: jovial
word: joyful
word: merry
word: merry as a cricket
word: merry as a grig
word: mirthsome
word: on cloud nine
word: overjoyed
word: overjoyous
word: over the moon
word: pacific
word: perky
word: placated
word: pleased
word: satisfied
word: thrilled
word: tickled pink
word: triumphant
word: vivacious
word: wealful
word: happy as a clam
word: happy as a clam at high water
word: happy as a lark
word: happy as a pig in mud
word: happy as a pig in shit
word: happy as a prince
word: happy as Larry
word: happy as the day is long
antonyms: word: saturnine
word: blissed out
word: blissful
word: cock-a-hoop
word: content
word: delighted
word: ecstatic
word: elated
word: excited
word: exultant
word: gay
word: glad
word: gleeful
word: happy
word: jovial
word: joyful
word: on cloud nine
word: overjoyed
word: over the moon
word: pacific
word: perky
word: placated
word: pleased
word: satisfied
word: thrilled
word: tickled pink
word: triumphant
glosses: Cheerful and good-humoured; jolly, merry.
examples: text: This Planet [Jupiter] being a Fortune, and Friend unto nature, inclineth the native, upon this direction, not only unto healthfulneſs, but alſo to be jovial and merry, affable and pleaſant, and to delight in the company of religious men: […] [T]his direction importeth good from jovial perſons, and is an excellent time to have dealings with, or to receive any courteſie from, or benefit by them, […]
ref: 1682, Joseph Blagrave, “[The Effects of Directions.] The Ascendant to the Body of Jupiter.”, in Obadiah Blagrave, editor, Blagrave’s Introduction to Astrology. In Three Parts. […], London: Printed by E. Tyler, and R. Holt, for Obadiah Blagrave, […], →OCLC, part III, page 226:
text: As ☉ is near to a ⚹ of ♃, so did a jovial man endeavour to procure the purchase (after I began), but ♃ is cadent and in detriment, which shewed he should not prevail.
ref: 1852, William Lilly, Zadkiel [pseudonym; Richard James Morrison], “Of the Fourth House, and Judgments Depending thereon”, in An Introduction to Astrology […]: A Grammar of Astrology, and Tables for Calculating Nativities. […], London: H[enry] G[eorge] Bohn, […], →OCLC, page 145:
topics: astrology
human-sciences
mysticism
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see sense 1).
Derived terms: jovialist
joviality
jovialize
jovially
jovialness
unjovial
Related terms: Jove
Jovial
Jovian