Words of Positivity
Browse the A to Z index4,633 ENTRIES

Joviality

n.joyful, kindformal

What it means

Warm, hearty cheerfulness expressed in sociable company.

Reach for it when naming an atmosphere or disposition of friendly shared good humor

Her joviality helped every newcomer feel included at dinner.

Choose between these

6
  • playful

    high spirits

    visible group energy is the main impression

    not when High spirits can become noisy or disruptive without being welcoming.

  • everyday

    cheerfulness

    bright good spirits are the broad quality

    not when Cheerfulness can be quiet and solitary, unlike sociable joviality.

  • warm

    good humor

    friendly patience and amusement shape interactions

    not when Good humor is milder and less hearty than joviality.

  • formal

    geniality

    warm friendliness puts others at ease

    not when Geniality is gentler and less boisterous.

  • literary

    bonhomie

    easy sociable friendliness suits cultivated prose

    not when Bonhomie is uncommon and can imply a clubby atmosphere.

  • literary

    merriment

    shared laughter and festivity are active

    not when Merriment describes a moment or gathering more than a person's disposition.

Said against

3
  • gloom
  • surliness
  • solemnity

It naturally appears in

3
  • natural joviality

    His natural joviality left room for quieter guests to speak.

  • air of joviality

    An air of joviality returned when the power came back.

  • joviality around the table

    Joviality around the table never turned the absent colleague into a joke.

The word family

3

Where this comes from

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.