merry

adjective

mer·​ry ˈmer-ē 

ˈme-rē

merrier; merriest

1

: full of gaiety or high spirits : mirthful

eat, drink, and be merry

2

: marked by festivity or gaiety

a merry holiday time

3

: quick, brisk

a merry pace

4

archaic : giving pleasure : delightful

merrily

ˈmer-ə-lē 

ˈme-rə-

adverb

merriness

ˈmer-ē-nəs 

ˈme-rē-

noun

Synonyms of merry

• jolly
• festive
• cheerful

Choose the Right Synonym for merry

merry, blithe, jocund, jovial, jolly mean showing high spirits or lightheartedness.

merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.

a merry group of revelers

blithe suggests carefree, innocent, or even heedless gaiety.

arrived late in his usual blithe way

jocund stresses elation and exhilaration of spirits.

singing, dancing, and jocund feasting

jovial suggests the stimulation of conviviality and good fellowship.

dinner put them in a jovial mood

jolly suggests high spirits expressed in laughing, bantering, and jesting.

our jolly host enlivened the party

Examples of merry in a Sentence

Let's eat, drink, and be merry!

They sang a merry little song.

Recent Examples on the Web

Besides its prominent cloud belts, Jupiter's greatest telescopic treasure are its four Galilean moons that run a merry race with each other around the planet, changing their respective positions from hour to hour and night to night. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026

The residents were excited to see both, but the real dog hopped down and went on its merry way, while Jennie stuck around to be snuggled. —Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026

Getting everything on the table in time is always a challenge but each year, people show up, eat, drink and are merry. —Eric Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026

The New Year’s Eve box office tends to be sleepy, as many consumers prefer to eat, drink and be merry. —Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mery, from Old English myrge, merge; akin to Old High German murg short — more at brief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing merry

• be on one's merry way
• go on one's merry way
• lead (someone) a merry chase
• lead (someone) a (merry) dance
• make merry
• merry-andrew
• merry-go-round
• merry widow
• play merry hell with

Rhymes for merry

• aerie
• airy
• arie
• barre
• cherry
• clary
• dairy
• eyrie
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• ferry

Kids Definition

merry

adjective

mer·​ry ˈmer-ē 

merrier; merriest

1

: full of good humor and good spirits : mirthful

2

: marked by gaiety or festivity

a merry Christmas

merrily

ˈmer-ə-lē 

adverb

merriness

ˈmer-ē-nəs 

noun