jovial

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 25, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>jovial</strong> &#149; \JOH-vee-ul\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Jovial</em> means "markedly good-humored" and describes people and things that are cheerful or full of joy.  </p> <p>// Andy remembered his Uncle Jim as a <em>jovial</em> man with a ready smile, a firm handshake, and a cheery greeting for all.</p> <p>// Family reunions are a <em>jovial</em> occasion in which long-distance relatives reconnect and, of course, share amusing stories about each other.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jovial">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Still, part of the pleasure of dining at Margie's is ... its familial atmosphere. When Winston, a <em>jovial</em> seventeen-year-old senior at Far Rockaway High School, stopped to chat while clearing dishes, it was hard not to feel like a guest at an intergenerational dinner." — Jiayang Fan, <em>The New Yorker</em>, 16 Aug. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>In Roman astrology, planets were named after gods, and people were thought to share the personality traits of the god whose planet was rising when they were born. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jupiter">Jupiter</a>, also called <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jove">Jove</a>, was the chief Roman god and was considered a majestic type who was the source of joy and happiness. The Latin adjective <em>jovialis</em> means "of or relating to Jove." In French, this had become <em>jovial</em>, which English borrowed and used to describe people and things full of cheer or joy.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>