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as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor the children at the library were charmed by the jocular storyteller

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word jocular distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of jocular are facetious, humorous, jocose, and witty. While all these words mean "provoking or intended to provoke laughter," jocular implies a usually habitual fondness for jesting and joking.

a jocular fellow

When can facetious be used instead of jocular?

Although the words facetious and jocular have much in common, facetious stresses a desire to produce laughter and may be derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor.

facetious comments

When might humorous be a better fit than jocular?

While the synonyms humorous and jocular are close in meaning, humorous applies broadly to anything that evokes usually genial laughter and may contrast with witty in suggesting whimsicality or eccentricity.

humorous anecdotes

How are the words jocose and facetious related as synonyms of jocular?

Jocose is somewhat less derogatory than facetious in suggesting habitual waggishness or playfulness.

jocose proposals

Where would witty be a reasonable alternative to jocular?

While in some cases nearly identical to jocular, witty suggests cleverness and quickness of mind.

a witty remark

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jocular Delle finally trilled, in an unreadably jocular voice. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025 Bini, whose jocular banter is only upended by his ability to carefully listen and practically intervene, helps people struggling with fertility as well as with their gender transition. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025 The interviews were jocular, an approach that seemed tactless, given the film’s subject matter. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025 But series creator and director Joe Barton paired back many of the most horrific details of the true story, instead imbuing Black Doves with a surprisingly warm, witty, and jocular tone despite the material. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for jocular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jocular
Adjective
  • There were humorous moments amid the writers’ accounts of tragedy.
    Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • When the slasher eventually appears, stealing the group’s car before murdering them with a humorous bluntness, there is also a real atmosphere of dread.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This merry, bloody, muddy trashing of Arthurian legend returns to theaters May 4 and 7 in a Fathom Entertainment engagement.
    Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Five picks later, and Terrance Ferguson might’ve stuck back in Denver, and had a merry reunion with Bo Nix as the Broncos’ matchup-nightmare tight end of the future.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Put all those elements together, and the show remained fun and witty and insightful despite all of its darkness because viewers never got attached to any one character.
    Judy Berman, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Deborah botches the presser that follows by refusing to respond to ageist, sexist questions with witty banter — a totally foreseeable scenario that Ava anticipated and prepared for, but Deborah tossed Ava’s jokes in the trash.
    Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Crosby released a number of tunes throughout his career that were made perfectly for the jolliest time of the year, and his wins are still coming his way, even decades after his passing.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Instead of its usual jolly cartoons, the channel began broadcasting footage of Russian military parades accompanied by music of the Russian nationalist singer Oleg Gazmanov.
    Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Instant Spa Shower Gift Box: $55 Turn mom’s shower into a spa-like experience with this clever gift set from UncommonGood.
    Nora Colomer may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
  • Pretending to love the enemy, spurred on by her real love, the romantic plot provides the film’s clever, titillating energy.
    Paul Vidich, People.com, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Get The Recipe 02 of 30 Christmas Eve Punch Warm spices, fresh winter citrus, and festive cranberries make this big-batch cocktail ready for the holiday season.
    Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Their friendship, and the longevity of working with Neil, made for a festive 7 a.m. start: coffee and makeup/hair in the kitchen while my parents watched our kid.
    Erin Allweiss, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Use these cheerful, summery spoons to slather jam onto scones or Nutella into crepes.
    Oset Babür-Winter, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2025
  • Only cheerful younger son Einstein (Evan Ellison), an eccentric, prophetically named genius who has decided to become a champion pole-vaulter, seems happy to see him.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Network Brass Winnie Landell (Helen Hunt) Photo: Courtesy of Max This network executive responsible for Late Night with Deborah Vance’s success is jovial yet mean in the way that only a woman who’s worked in Hollywood for too long and has seen way too much can be.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
  • All that gnashing and suckling is old hat — as old as the burgundy fedora Jordan slips on when playing the more jovial of these brothers in arms.
    A.A. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jocular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jocular. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

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