jocular
English
WOTD – 26 June 2006
Etymology
From Latin iocularis, from ioculus (“a little jest”), diminutive of iocus (“a jest”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɒkjʊlə/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɑkjəlɚ/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective
jocular (comparative more jocular, superlative most jocular)
- Humorous, amusing or joking.
- He was in a jocular mood all day.
- All we had was a short and jocular conversation.
- 1865, Horatio Alger, “chapter IV”, in 'Paul Prescott's Charge:
- From the tone of the speaker, the last words might be understood to be jocular.
- 1896, H. G. Wells, “chapter 15”, in The Island of Dr. Moreau:
- Sometimes he would notice it, pat it, call it half-mocking, half-jocular names, and so make it caper with extraordinary delight.
- 1910, Stephen Leacock, The Awful Fate of Melpomenus Jones:
- Then papa began to get very tired of Jones, and fidgeted and finally said, with jocular irony, that Jones had better stay all night, they could give him a shake-down.
Synonyms
- (humorous): jokey, silly, joculous; see also Thesaurus:witty
Antonyms
- (humorous): heartfelt, serious, sincere
Derived terms
Derived terms
- jocularity
- jocularly
- jocularness
- joculous
Related terms
- joke
Translations
humorous, amusing, joking
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Further reading
- jocular in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- jocular in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- jocular at OneLook Dictionary Search