jocund
adjective
jo·cund ˈjä-kənd 
also ˈjō-(ˌ)kənd
: marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness
a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth jocundity
jō-ˈkən-də-tē
noun jä-
jocundly
ˈjä-kənd-lē
adverb ˈjō-(ˌ)kənd-
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The Tricky Etymology of Jocund
Don't let the etymology of jocund play tricks on you. The word comes from jucundus, a Latin word meaning "agreeable" or "delightful," and ultimately from the Latin verb juvare, meaning "to help." But jucundus looks and sounds a bit like jocus, the Latin word for "joke." These two roots took a lively romp through many centuries together and along the way the lighthearted jocus influenced the spelling and meaning of jucundus, an interaction that eventually resulted in our modern English word jocund in the 14th century.
Synonyms
- blithe
- blithesome
- festive
- gay
- gleeful
- jocose
- jocular
- jolly
- jovial
- laughing
- merry
- mirthful
- sunny
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
old friends engaged in jocund teasing
Recent Examples on the Web Political Mooovment forces an examination of how consuming dairy and meat harms our planet and potentially our bodies, underscored by a jocund tone. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 29 May 2021 There’s a feeling of joy that comes with walking into Jovanina’s Broken Italian, a jocund eight-month-old eatery that’s part of LoDo’s recent restaurant renaissance. Daliah Singer, The Know, 6 Aug. 2019
Natasha Gural, Forbes, 29 May 2021 There’s a feeling of joy that comes with walking into Jovanina’s Broken Italian, a jocund eight-month-old eatery that’s part of LoDo’s recent restaurant renaissance. Daliah Singer, The Know, 6 Aug. 2019 Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Late Latin jocundus, alteration of Latin jucundus, from juvare to help
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
jocundity
noun
as in glee
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter the kind of forced jocundity that one finds so often at corporate events Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- glee
- cheerfulness
- cheer
- merriness
- festivity
- mirthfulness
- mirth
- joking
- hilarity
- joviality
- gayness
- gleefulness
- humor
- merriment
- joyfulness
- gayety
- brightness
- reveling
- cheeriness
- gaiety
- funning
- revelling
- good-humoredness
- playfulness
- jocoseness
- frivolity
- jollification
- levity
- jocosity
- buoyancy
- jocularity
- jesting
- buffoonery
- animation
- revelry
- sportiveness
- clownishness
- rejoicing
- giddiness
- gamesomeness
- sunniness
- flippancy
- lightheartedness
- insouciance
- jollity
- jauntiness
- vivacity
- joshing
- joyousness
- rollicking
- jubilance
- frolicking
- perkiness
- liveliness
- good-naturedness
- jest
- romping
- gamboling
- gambolling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sorrow
- sadness
- blues
- depression
- dejection
- unhappiness
- melancholy
- gravity
- gloom
- spleen
- forlornness
- seriousness
- bile
- discontent
- earnestness
- sourness
- grimness
- despondence
- woe
- sobersidedness
- solemnity
- soberness
- moodiness
- disgruntlement
- woefulness
- dolefulness
- darkness
- mournfulness
- joylessness
- blackness
- gloominess
- solemnness
- dolorousness
- plaintiveness
- graveness
- misery
- glumness
- mourning
- wretchedness
- desolateness
- heartbreak
- desolation
- miserableness