jolly

American  

[jol-ee] / ˈdʒɒl i /

adjective

jollier, jolliest

1. in good spirits; lively; merry.

   In a moment he was as jolly as ever.

   Synonyms:

   playful, sportive, jovial, spirited, glad

   Antonyms:

   melancholy, gloomy

2. cheerfully festive or convivial.

   a jolly party.

   Synonyms:

   playful, sportive, jovial, spirited, glad

   Antonyms:

   melancholy, gloomy

3. joyous; happy.

   Christmas is a jolly season.

   Synonyms:

   playful, sportive, jovial, spirited, glad

   Antonyms:

   melancholy, gloomy

4. Chiefly British Informal. delightful; charming.

5. British.

   1. Informal. great; thorough.

      a jolly blunderer.

   2. Slang. slightly drunk; tipsy.

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verb (used with object)

jollied, jollying

1. Informal. to talk or act agreeably to (a person) in order to keep that person in good humor, especially in the hope of gaining something (usually followed byalong ).

   They jollied him along until the job was done.

verb (used without object)

jollied, jollying

1. Informal. to jolly a person; josh; kid.

noun

plural

jollies

1. Informal. the practice or an instance of jollying a person.

2. Informal. Usually jollies. pleasurable excitement, especially from or as if from something forbidden or improper; thrills; kicks.

   He gets his jollies from watching horror movies.

adverb

1. British Informal. extremely; very.

   He'll jolly well do as he's told.

jolly British  

/ ˈdʒɒlɪ /

adjective

1. full of good humour; jovial

2. having or provoking gaiety and merrymaking; festive

3. greatly enjoyable; pleasing

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adverb

1. (intensifier)

   you're jolly nice

verb

1. to try to make or keep (someone) cheerful

2. to make goodnatured fun of

noun

1. informal a festivity or celebration

2. informal a trip, esp one made for pleasure by a public official or committee at public expense

3. slang a Royal Marine

Other Word Forms

• jollily adverb
• jolliness noun
• unjolly adjective

Etymology

Origin of jolly

1275–1325; Middle English joli, jolif < Old French, equivalent to jol- (probably < Old Norse jōl Yule ( def. ) ) + -if -ive

Example Sentences

Despite the gags and attention from Australian media about their time on the beach, England probably put in their best performance of a bad bunch in the Test after their jollies in Noosa.

From BBC

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, at 52.9, was a touch below expectations of 53.4, but Wall Street was still in a jolly mood following yesterday’s cooler-than-expected consumer price index.

From Barron's

Ms. Wiles seems, in the piece, to have been allowed, perhaps even encouraged, to view her interlocutor as her friend, her jolly confidante.

From The Wall Street Journal

Target, meanwhile, brings back Kris K., a jolly bearded Christmas enthusiast introduced in a 2024 campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal

Evan is also staying jolly, having joked that he would soon be going really fast in his wheelchair, which he currently uses at school.

From BBC

Related Words

• carefree
• cheerful
• chipper
• convivial
• enjoyable
• festive
• jovial
• joyous
• lighthearted
• merry
• playful
• pleasant