Joli

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Charming and attractive, often used to describe things or people that are pleasing to the eye or delightful in appearance
2. Denoting a quality of beauty or elegance that evokes a sense of joy and admiration
3. Referring to a delightful aspect or characteristic that brings happiness and visual pleasure

Etymology: "Joli" is the French word for "pretty" or "pleasant," and it comes from Old French "joli," meaning cheerful, lively, or gay. Its ultimate source is likely the Old French "jol," probably from Old Norse "jól" (the midwinter feast), which connects it to festive mirth rather than to beauty itself. The exact route from that Scandinavian feast word into Old French is uncertain, so the link should be treated as probable rather than settled. Over the centuries the sense drifted from high spirits toward prettiness. In English, the word appears mainly as a borrowing from French, where it is used of people, things, and small pleasures that charm rather than impress. The shift from "merry" to "pretty" shows how a word describing a person's mood can gradually come to describe the appearance that mood produces.

Synonyms: pretty, lovely, charming, attractive, cute

Antonyms: ugly, unattractive, plain