Jocosity
n.joyful, kindliterary
What it means
Playful humor or a disposition toward good-natured joking.
Reach for it when naming the presence or habit of joking in an elevated register
A little jocosity kept the long ceremonial dinner from growing stiff.
Choose between these
6- everyday
banter
quick friendly teasing passes between people
not when Banter requires an exchange and can become cutting.
- everyday
the broad capacity to amuse is enough
not when Humor includes many tones and does not isolate sociable joking.
- warm
freedom from heaviness matters most
not when Lightheartedness can be silent and need not produce any joke.
- warm
shared happiness and laughter fill the occasion
not when Merriment is an atmosphere, not specifically witty or playful speech.
- formal
habitual joking defines a person's manner
not when Jocularity can imply louder, more persistent behavior than mild jocosity.
- literary
drollery
odd, understated comic expression is intended
not when Drollery is a style of humor, not general sociable cheer.
Said against
3- seriousness
- gloom
- austerity
It naturally appears in
3- social jocosity
Social jocosity turned the delayed meal into an enjoyable evening.
- harmless jocosity
Harmless jocosity gave the farewell speech warmth without ridicule.
- moment of jocosity
A moment of jocosity released the tension before the final vote.
The word family
3Where this comes from
Jocosity is rare in contemporary English and can sound self-consciously learned.
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: joking or jesting 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.