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, 27 Dec. 2024
The shiny, vinyl-like fabric gave the look a modern, sporty edge, tying it back to the game-day setting.
Mahomes and Kelce paired the festive jolly coats with their red and white Chiefs uniforms, blending seamlessly with the football team’s signature colors.
—Ty Gaskins, WWD, 26 Dec. 2024
Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
But all was not so jolly when things first picked up from last week’s cliffhanger.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025
The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019
So Watt sets out to convince them that the real killer is Peter Manuel by — wait for it! — taking him out on a bender and jollying him into a confession.
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, 19 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for jolly
Adjective
The musician also passed away on Christmas Day back in 2016, so the jolly time is also somewhat somber for longtime lovers of the artist.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
The shiny, vinyl-like fabric gave the look a modern, sporty edge, tying it back to the game-day setting.
Mahomes and Kelce paired the festive jolly coats with their red and white Chiefs uniforms, blending seamlessly with the football team’s signature colors.
—Ty Gaskins, WWD, 26 Dec. 2024
Adverb
The unlikelihood of this turn of events—a niece being the first to find her uncle’s corpse—dissipates into the dynamic of the call: Shula’s bored, patient matter-of-factness, her father’s jolly, scattershot drunkenness.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
But all was not so jolly when things first picked up from last week’s cliffhanger.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
As to the political will needed to jolly the process along, and arrange payment for those parts of the programme that will not pay for themselves, this can push both ways.
—The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019
So Watt sets out to convince them that the real killer is Peter Manuel by — wait for it! — taking him out on a bender and jollying him into a confession.
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, 19 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for jolly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolly
Adjective
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Audiences already know what to expect from Buzz Lightyear, Woody and their merry band of talking toys.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
23 June 2025
-
Will the market continue to trudge along its merry path?—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Using a real-life incarceration facility near Geelong in Victoria that had just opened (but wasn’t populated yet), Williams has a setting that’s sunny and modern, not inherently depressing if not exactly pleasant, either.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
20 June 2025
-
The most pleasant surprise to me was Ohio’s Matt Ponatoski, ranked as the No. 29 QB by 247Sports.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adverb
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According to Ballerini, Kahan said yes at the very last minute.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
19 June 2025
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That is almost unfathomable, considering the Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports, and the Mavericks were a very good franchise in a very valuable market.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The recipe in question is for tortellini and Sinatra isn’t joking—in 1965, concerned citizens of Italy drafted a document to describe the proper method for preparing this pasta, which was eventually registered with the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna, the hometown of tortellini.—
Elena Valeriote,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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No elbows on the dinner table (my mom would joke that this was rule #485), always eat your vegetables, and wait till everyone has their food before digging in.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Her after-party look was fun, festive and feathered, and featured a low-cut back.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
19 June 2025
-
When will fans find out the festive schedule is for their teams?—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Upon receiving the ball, Joao Pedro turns, drives forward, and slides a delightful ball through to Simon Adingra, making a dangerous out-to-in run from the flank.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
-
La Terrasse du Petit Palais makes for delightful open air lakefront dining at the 1906 Fairmont Le Montreux Palace hotel, while its indoor Montreux Jazz Café features a fine dining menu, despite its casual name.—
John Oseid,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Adverb
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Humor is an extremely useful and common coping strategy that can help some process such a heavy and traumatic event, according to Marni Amsellem, a licensed psychologist.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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The extremely diverse group speaks nine different languages and a quarter of the recruits are women, a higher number than any previous class, agency officials said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Adverb
-
To the surprise of no one, something has gone terribly wrong.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
24 June 2025
-
Then in April 2021, Granda’s plan to escape went terribly wrong.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolly. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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