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Synonyms

rollicking

American  
[rol-i-king] / ˈrɒl ɪ kɪŋ /

adjective

  1. carefree and joyous.

    They had a rollicking good time.

    Synonyms:
    exuberant, gay, merry, hearty, jolly
  2. swaggering; boisterous.


rollicking 1 British  
/ ˈrɒlɪkɪŋ /

adjective

  1. boisterously carefree and swaggering

"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

rollicking 2 British  
/ ˈrɒlɪkɪŋ /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of rollicking

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

Explanation

Something that's rollicking is really fun and playful. When you throw a party, you hope your friends will describe it as rollicking. Parties with live music and great food are usually rollicking, and a wonderful game of charades with your family can also be rollicking. You might even describe a funny movie or a song you can dance to this way. The root of rollicking is a nineteenth century verb that we don't use much these days, rollick, "to behave exuberantly." It, in turn, is most likely a combination of frolic and roll.

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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.

“Is God Is” isn’t the kind of rollicking free-for-all that will have you cheering in the theater.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

It’s a rollicking, intense adventure about music and the way it bonds us through history.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

Sunday’s game was far more competitive than the rollicking crowd at Empower Field might have suspected, with the second-string Chargers defense battling them at every turn.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026

To Brook's credit, he did that well in the first innings of the third Test by easing, rather than rollicking, to 45.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

With all that and her rollicking songs, I was on fire.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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