Jo
n.kind, joyfulliterary
What it means
A sweetheart or beloved person in Scots and northern English usage.
Reach for it when addressing or naming a beloved person in regional or traditional language
She crossed the crowded hall to greet her jo.
Choose between these
5- everyday
familiar British address is appropriate
not when Love varies sharply by region and can be mistaken for casual friendliness.
- warm
direct affectionate address feels natural
not when Darling may sound patronizing or theatrical outside an intimate relationship.
- warm
affectionate partnership is clear to a wide audience
not when Sweetheart can sound sentimental where the regional restraint of jo is desired.
- professional
the relationship should be named without implying gender or marital status
not when Partner is neutral and omits the tenderness carried by jo.
- literary
deep love suits elevated or memorial prose
not when Beloved is more solemn and emotionally explicit than jo.
Said against
3- stranger
- enemy
- rival
It naturally appears in
3- dear jo
He left a final verse for his dear jo.
- faithful jo
Her faithful jo returned with the spring fleet.
- my jo
The old song calls gently to my jo across the water.
Where this comes from
Jo in this sense is regionally marked and can be mistaken for a personal name.
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: darling or sweetheart opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.