WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Jo"vi*al
Part of Speech : a.
Etymology : [F., fr. L. Jovialis pertaining to Jove. The planet Jupiter was thought to make those born under it joyful or jovial. See Jove.]
Definition : 1. Of or pertaining to the god, or the planet, Jupiter. [Obs.] Our jovial star reigned at his birth. Shak. The fixed stars astrologically differenced by the planets, and esteemed Martial or Jovial according to the colors whereby they answer these planets. Sir T. Browne.

2. Sunny; serene. [Obs.] "The heavens always joviall." Spenser.

3. Gay; merry; joyous; jolly; mirth-inspiring; hilarious; characterized by mirth or jollity; as, a jovial youth; a jovial company; a jovial poem. Be bright and jovial among your guests. Shak. His odes are some of them panegyrical, others moral; the rest are jovial or bacchanalian. Dryden.

Note: This word is a relic of the belief in planetary influence. Other examples are saturnine, mercurial, martial, lunatic, etc.

Syn. -- Merry; joyous; gay; festive; mirthful; gleeful; jolly; hilarious.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913