1
as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor
an especially jolly crowd of well-wishers at their wedding reception
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses
we always have a jolly time at their seaside cottage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in very
to a great degree
I jolly well agree that you did the right thing has become a jolly careful driver since his recent accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to joke
to make jokes
spent their nights around the campfire good-naturedly jollying and telling scary stories
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jolly
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Winter break is a jolly time of the year for many children.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 31 Dec. 2024
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Faygo soda pop provides fizzy array of flavors With flavors such as fruity ice cream, bubble gum and jolly green apple, Faygo, known for its fun flavors, started as Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works in Detroit in 1907.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 24 July 2025
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Director Nisha Ganatra jollies it along, with editor Eleanor Infante making as much rhythmic sense of the mix-ups and physical craziness as possible.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolly
Adjective
The same jolly collection also returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart for another year.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Winter break is a jolly time of the year for many children.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 31 Dec. 2024
Adverb
Icicle Shimmer Collection Included in the Icicle Shimmer Collection is a holly jolly snowman juggling snowflakes, an adorable twinkling candy cane adorned with a big red bow, and a toppling tower of presents waiting to be unwrapped.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Faygo soda pop provides fizzy array of flavors With flavors such as fruity ice cream, bubble gum and jolly green apple, Faygo, known for its fun flavors, started as Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works in Detroit in 1907.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 24 July 2025
Verb
This isn’t a report by the fun police: Twelfth Night is bursting with life and humor and should by no means be a moody slog, but Ali’s production is too intent on jollying us along.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Director Nisha Ganatra jollies it along, with editor Eleanor Infante making as much rhythmic sense of the mix-ups and physical craziness as possible.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolly
Adjective
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Great American Family is making sure that everyone's television screens remain merry and bright this holiday season!—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
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Big Sur has enjoyed a reputation as a dream destination long before Big Little Lies and its merry band of accidentally murderous suburban mothers came around.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Has a creamy taste that most people find pleasant.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
28 Sep. 2025
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While the flavor of this bread did not overwhelm our editors, many commented on the pleasant texture, making this store brand from ALDI a great option as the base for a sandwich or recipe.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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If the oil price comes down, very simply, Russia will settle, and the oil price is way down.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
23 Sep. 2025
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From September to November, the colors of the leaves make a very pretty contrast to the high red rock canyon walls.—
Dave Parfitt,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sucker Punch recently fired a developer who joked about right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination after the same people who vowed to never play Yotei launched a cancel campaign against the studio.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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The pair also joked about it when the former President showed up on the podcast Michelle Obama co-hosts with her brother, titled IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trump tariffs stalled Halloween orders About 90% of festive products – merchandise associated with holidays or other seasonal occasions – are imported from China, according to the South China Morning Post.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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If the typical harvest color palette is not your style, there’s finally a solution to finding festive fall decor that’s not orange.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Bedoya said the residence is dubbed Asolare, which in Italian means to pass time in a delightful, leisurely way.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Besides the delicious sandwiches, the mango and papaya parfait was particularly delightful and light, and the chocolate cake came adored with a pink butterfly.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Evan Adlman, executive vice president of commercial sales and revenue operations at AMC Networks, talked about the current challenge of the TV landscape is figuring out how to get their content in front of as many viewers as possible due to the current model being extremely fragmented.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
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Consider either skipping exfoliation or choosing an extremely gentle exfoliant specifically made for sensitive skin.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Chia seeds absorb liquids, giving the seeds an enjoyable gel-like texture.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
27 Sep. 2025
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My friendship and partnership with Graham has been profound and certainly one of the most enjoyable relationships of my life.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolly. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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