Standard Lemma guide

joviality

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /d͡ʒoʊviˈælɪti/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ælɪti

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being jovial; jollity or conviviality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • 1651, Fulgenzio Micanzio, The Life of the Most Learned Father Paul, Of the Order of the Servie, translator not credited, London: Humphrey Moseley and Richard Marriot, p. 13, The Duke [...] willingly interposed the pleasures of wit and facetiousnesse with the grave cares of his government, tempering wisely his troubles with Joviality of words and actions [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jolliness, jovialness, blitheness, blithesomeness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, contentness, contentedness, delight, delightedness, elatedness, elation, exuberance, exuberantness, felicity, gaiety, gayness, gayfulness, gladness, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, gleesomeness, happiness, high spirits, hilarity, jollity, joviality, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, liss, merriment, merriness, mirth, mirthfulness, pleasedness

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a jovial nature

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conviviality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sociability, sociableness

3

noun

Meaning 3

feeling jolly and jovial and full of good humor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jollity, jolliness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gaiety, merriment, good humor, good humour, good temper, amiability

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French jovialité.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: веселост (veselost) — Condition of being jovial
  • Bulgarian: общителност (obštitelnost) — Condition of being jovial
  • Dutch: jovialiteit — Condition of being jovial
  • French: jovialité — Condition of being jovial
  • Georgian: სიმხიარულე (simxiarule) — Condition of being jovial
  • Georgian: მხიარულება (mxiaruleba) — Condition of being jovial
  • Irish: meidhir — Condition of being jovial
  • Italian: giovialità — Condition of being jovial
  • Portuguese: jovialidade — Condition of being jovial
  • Romanian: jovialitate — Condition of being jovial
  • Spanish: jovialidad — Condition of being jovial
  • Swahili: ukunjufu — Condition of being jovial
  • Swedish: jovialitet — Condition of being jovial