merry

adjective

mer·​ry ˈmer-ē How to pronounce merry (audio)
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 How to pronounce merry (audio)
ˈme-rə-
adverb
merriness
ˈmer-ē-nəs How to pronounce merry (audio)
ˈme-rē-
noun
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 With a colorful cast of characters, the play is a merry dance of romance, comedy, and playful deception perfect for audiences of all ages. David Catlin, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 When there was little to no chance of the Lions reaching the Super Bowl, aka no emotional investment in the result, the Motor City and suburbs could relax and treat the annual event as a reason to eat, drink and be merry. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 10 Feb. 2024 Carmen and her merry band make off with a truck that then dominates the second and — crashed and burning on its side — third act. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2024 Seemingly merry bassoons and seemingly sprightly flutes and oboes opened the rambunctious ländler of the second movement, its rhythm ushering us past its telling (and slightly demonic) dissonances. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 Until then, happy holidays, and may your stars be merry and bright. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 21 Dec. 2023 Six minutes after takeoff After the flight was cleared to go on its merry way from Portland to Ontario, a bunch of things went wrong. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 6 Feb. 2024 Months away from joining new conferences, UCLA and Cal might consider changing school colors before going their merry ways. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024 Brightly lit Christmas trees, sparkling displays and decorative holiday markets are all holiday season staples that help keep things merry and bright. Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'merry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of merry was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near merry

Cite this Entry

“Merry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

merry

adjective
mer·​ry ˈmer-ē How to pronounce merry (audio)
merrier; merriest
1
: full of good humor and good spirits : mirthful
2
: marked by gaiety or festivity
a merry Christmas
merrily adverb
merriness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on merry

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