merriment
Americannoun
-
cheerful or joyful gaiety; mirth; hilarity; laughter.
- Antonyms:
- melancholy, misery
-
Obsolete. a cause of mirth; a jest, entertainment, etc.
noun
Synonym Usage
See mirth.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of merriment
Explanation
Merriment can refer to fun activities or a feeling of happiness. Either way, a good time is being had. You know how merry means happy? Merriment refers to events and feelings that are happy. A party is a perfect example of merriment. If you hear a bunch of people laughing and joking, you might say, "Why all the merriment?" Merriment can also be an emotion: if you're very excited or happy, you're experiencing merriment.
Vocabulary lists containing merriment
Frankenwords: Words with Roots from Different Languages
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Words for the International Day of Happiness
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Chains
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Issa is solidly built, close-shaved, stern in command but given to bouts of merriment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
But would his performance match Van Dyke’s soaring merriment and nimble footwork, those grace notes cementing the film’s status as an intergenerational classic?
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025
Muslim merriment in New York and New Jersey is usually coached to keep a low profile.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2025
But in L.A., the kids began running around the stage in wild merriment, still playing, still on the beat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2024
“You really advise it?” and Laurie looked at her with an odd mixture of anxiety and merriment in his face.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
