1
: said or done as a joke : characterized by jesting : playful
jocular remarks
2
: given to jesting : habitually jolly or jocund
a jocular man
Choose the Right Synonym for jocular

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.
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 He’s bid a tearful, jocular farewell by Tenax and has a massive turnout at his funeral; none of these people know the first thing about him, really. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for jocular

Word History

Etymology

Latin jocularis, from joculus, diminutive of jocus — see jocose

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jocular was in 1626

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Cite this Entry

“Jocular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jocular. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

jocular

adjective
1
: fond of joking
2
: said or done as a joke

More from Merriam-Webster on jocular

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