jocular

adjective

joc·​u·​lar ˈjä-kyə-lər How to pronounce jocular (audio)
Synonyms of jocular
1
: said or done as a joke : characterized by jesting : playful
jocular remarks
2
: given to jesting : habitually jolly or jocund
a jocular man
jocularity
ˌjä-kyə-ˈler-ə-tē How to pronounce jocular (audio)
-ˈla-rə-
noun
jocularly
ˈjä-kyə-lər-lē How to pronounce jocular (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of jocular

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witty, humorous, facetious, jocular, jocose mean provoking or intended to provoke laughter.

witty suggests cleverness and quickness of mind.

a witty remark

humorous applies broadly to anything that evokes usually genial laughter and may contrast with witty in suggesting whimsicality or eccentricity.

humorous anecdotes

facetious stresses a desire to produce laughter and may be derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor.

facetious comments

jocular implies a usually habitual fondness for jesting and joking.

a jocular fellow

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

jocose proposals

Examples of jocular in a Sentence

a jocular man who could make the most serious people smile made the jocular observation that the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start off with a large fortune
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
That’s because of her bright and jocular storytelling. — Mj Franklin, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 Speaking at a state dinner at the White House, Charles seemed to be in a jocular mood. — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 May 2026 Even was talkative and jocular, telling stories about blowout parties in Marrakech. — Joel Khalili, Wired News, 17 Nov. 2025 Infantino presided over the events with jocular asides and instant recall of previous matches and scores. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for jocular

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin joculāris "laughable, facetious," from joculus "joke, jest" (diminutive of jocus "jest") + -āris -ar — more at joke entry 1

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jocular was in 1626

Rhymes for jocular

See All Rhymes for jocular

Browse Nearby Words

jocu
jocular
jocularity
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Cite this Entry

“Jocular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jocular. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

jocular

adjective
joc·​u·​lar ˈjäk-yə-lər How to pronounce jocular (audio)
1
: fond of joking
2
: said or done as a joke
jocularity
ˌjäk-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē How to pronounce jocular (audio)
noun
jocularly
ˈjäk-yə-lər-lē How to pronounce jocular (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on jocular

Nglish: Translation of jocular for Spanish Speakers

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