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

Explanation

Someone who's jolly is extremely cheerful. Your jolly French teacher might spend a large part of each class laughing out loud at his own jokes — if only you understood French, you could laugh along with him. Santa Claus might be the mythical figure best known for being jolly — he's especially famous for his jolly "Ho ho ho!" Anyone who tends to be merry or festive is jolly, and when you want to cheer up a less-than-jolly friend, you can jolly them, teasing or kidding until they smile. The Old French root is jolif, "festive, merry, or pretty."

Example Sentences

Another film, “Gasman,” was full of jolly japes about everyday corruption.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

And maybe Van Dyke is a little like Santa: white hair, rosy cheeks, jolly and wholesome.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

Mr Lakanwal was a GPS tracker specialist, the former commander told the BBC, describing him as a "sporty and jolly character".

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025

“I tell here there are heaps of spots in Manderley that would make very jolly pictures.”

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

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