jolly

1 of 4

adjective

jol·​ly ˈjä-lē How to pronounce jolly (audio)
jollier; jolliest
Synonyms of jolly
1
a(1)
: full of high spirits : joyous
Think no more, lad; laugh, be jolly …—A. E. Housman
(2)
: given to conviviality : jovial
a jolly companion
b
: expressing, suggesting, or inspiring lively happiness and good cheer : cheerful
jolly laughter
2
: extremely pleasant or agreeable : splendid
had a jolly time

jolly

2 of 4

adverb

: very
… would … do as they were jolly well told.—John Stockbridge

jolly

3 of 4

noun

plural jollies
1
chiefly British : a good time : jollification
2
jollies plural : kicks
… get their jollies from skewering the medium that employs them.—Harry F. Waters

jolly

4 of 4

verb

jollied; jollying

intransitive verb

: to engage in good-natured banter
… jollied and joked with sailors in the street.—Dixon Wecter

transitive verb

: to put or try to put in good humor especially to gain an end
… try to pay for their entertainment by jollying us along.—Stewart Edward White

Synonyms of jolly

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Adjective

Adverb

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for jolly

merry, blithe, jocund, jovial, jolly mean showing high spirits or lightheartedness.

merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.

a merry group of revelers

blithe suggests carefree, innocent, or even heedless gaiety.

arrived late in his usual blithe way

jocund stresses elation and exhilaration of spirits.

singing, dancing, and jocund feasting

jovial suggests the stimulation of conviviality and good fellowship.

dinner put them in a jovial mood

jolly suggests high spirits expressed in laughing, bantering, and jesting.

our jolly host enlivened the party

Examples of jolly in a Sentence

Adjective Our boss was a very jolly man, always laughing. She had a jolly time at the party. Adverb “I've finished my assignment.” “Jolly good!” She learned to be jolly careful in his presence. Noun a provocateur who gets his jollies from stirring up political controversy Verb spent their nights around the campfire good-naturedly jollying and telling scary stories
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.
Adjective
Fishing boats sat docked along the pier, bouncing on top of the water like a row of jolly babies. — Literary Hub, 14 May 2026 The winter holidays of 1945-46 must have been a jolly time for the Greatest Generation. — Joe Klein, Washington Post, 11 June 2026
Adverb
But traders were cautious about jumping on a jolly bandwagon too soon. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 May 2026 Mind you, there’s female prisons everywhere, but that wasn’t a very jolly book. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 June 2026
Noun
Some of us got jollies in nature, beholding birds and helming summer picnics. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025 Sunday was a tough day for those, like me, who get their entertainment jollies by watching losers try to redeem themselves. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Verb
As to the political will needed to jolly the process along, and arrange payment for those parts of the programme that will not pay for themselves, this can push both ways. — The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019 Director Nisha Ganatra jollies it along, with editor Eleanor Infante making as much rhythmic sense of the mix-ups and physical craziness as possible. — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jolly

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English joli, from Anglo-French jolif, from jol-, probably from Old Norse jōl midwinter festival — more at yule

Adverb

derivative of jolly entry 1

Noun

derivative of jolly entry 1

Verb

derivative of jolly entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adverb

1549, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1610, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of jolly was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing jolly

Rhymes for jolly

See All Rhymes for jolly

Browse Nearby Words

jolloped
jolly
Jolly balance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

jolly

1 of 2 adjective
jol·​ly ˈjäl-ē How to pronounce jolly (audio)
jollier; jolliest
1
a
: merry sense 1, cheerful
b
: jovial
2
: very pleasant or agreeable : splendid

jolly

2 of 2 adverb
: very entry 2 sense 1
a jolly good time

More from Merriam-Webster on jolly

Nglish: Translation of jolly for Spanish Speakers

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