jolly
in good spirits; lively; merry: In a moment he was as jolly as ever.
cheerfully festive or convivial: a jolly party.
joyous; happy: Christmas is a jolly season.
Chiefly British Informal. delightful; charming.
British.
Informal. great; thorough: a jolly blunderer.
Slang. slightly drunk; tipsy.
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 by along): They jollied him along until the job was done.
Informal. to jolly a person; josh; kid.
Informal. the practice or an instance of jollying a person.
Usually jollies. Informal. pleasurable excitement, especially from or as if from something forbidden or improper; thrills; kicks: He gets his jollies from watching horror movies.
British Informal. extremely; very: He'll jolly well do as he's told.
Origin of jolly
1Other words for jolly
Opposites for jolly
Other words from jolly
- jol·li·ly, adverb
- jol·li·ness, noun
- un·jol·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use jolly in a sentence
And to better the smile, he had the jolliest little chuckle that ever came through a pair of baby lips.
Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower"It's the jolliest sight I ever saw, Tom," he exclaimed with delight more than once during the evening.
The White Man's Foot | Grant AllenWell, Bess, old girl, we're off now for the jolliest time out!
The Transformation of Job | Frederick Vining FisherBut he stood there at last, after the jolliest romp, in which the old kirkyard rang with laughter, and oh!
Greyfriars Bobby | Eleanor Atkinson"You come along to the jolliest booth—I'll show it to you," said Sedgett, and lifted one leg in dancing attitude.
Rhoda Fleming, Complete | George Meredith
British Dictionary definitions for jolly
/ (ˈdʒɒlɪ) /
full of good humour; jovial
having or provoking gaiety and merrymaking; festive
greatly enjoyable; pleasing
British (intensifier): you're jolly nice
(often foll by up or along) to try to make or keep (someone) cheerful
to make goodnatured fun of
informal, mainly British a festivity or celebration
informal, mainly British a trip, esp one made for pleasure by a public official or committee at public expense
British slang a Royal Marine
Origin of jolly
1Derived forms of jolly
- jolliness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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