rollicking

[rol-i-king]

adjective

1. carefree and joyous.

   They had a rollicking good time.

   Synonyms: exuberant, gay, merry, hearty, jolly

2. swaggering; boisterous.

rollicking

¹

/ ˈrɒlɪkɪŋ /

adjective

1. boisterously carefree and swaggering

rollicking

²

/ ˈrɒlɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. informal,  a very severe telling-off; dressing-down

Other Word Forms

• rollickingly adverb
• rollickingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rollicking¹

First recorded in 1805–15; rollick + -ing ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of rollicking¹

C20: from _rollick (vb) (in former sense: to be angry, make a fuss); perhaps influenced by _bollocking

Example Sentences

Lots of goodies and all very rollicking, but so gassy as to be suitable only for the indulgent reader.

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It was, for a time, a rollicking trajectory.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We find Louis Armstrong in a louder moment, his body and his trumpet framed by the long bell of a neighbor’s clarinet, his head thrown back in rollicking laughter.

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The audiobook versions of two actors’ memoirs yield some rollicking and resonant moments.

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It’s a rollicking animal story; it’s also a tale of indefatigable love.

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Related Words

• boisterous 
• jaunty 
• joyful 
• joyous 
• lighthearted 
• merry 
• spirited 
• sprightly