jollity

noun

ˈjä-lə-tē How to pronounce jollity (audio)
Definition of jollitynext
as in festivity
joyful or festive activity I love all of the warmhearted jollity of the holiday season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jollity The free-living, hard-drinking Brett uses wit and jollity to mask her inner desperation. — Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025 Some years at Cannes, the Med’s most effervescent seasonal kickoff, the bubbles and spice of the social froth provide the jollity. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 While the jollity may look a bit different from city to city, these global destinations keep the holiday cheer going year after year. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2023 But even aside from that, Fallon, despite the Strike Force’s five-way jollity, seems like the group’s distractible odd man out. — Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2023 See All Example Sentences for jollity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jollity
  1. festivity
  2. cheerfulness
  3. merriment
  4. celebration
  5. merrymaking
  6. revelry
  7. gaiety
Noun
  • Headlining the festivities is a halftime performance from Big Boi.
    — Gavin Godfrey, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But before its doors shutter for a while, the hotel is offering another year of holiday festivities, this time with a special twist thanks to an immersive collaboration with Parisian brand Repetto.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of festivity
Noun
  • Leaders, in particular, have the power to shift the mood of their teams, not by pretending everything is fine or manufacturing cheerfulness but through tone, body language, and small actions.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The service Professionalism comes with genuine warmth, cheerfulness, and a sense of people absolutely loving their jobs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheerfulness
Noun
  • Neighbors had gathered for an afternoon of merriment, complete with a barbecue, a sweets station, and three bouncy castles.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • While the rest of the gang — including Chuckie and twins Phil and Lil — seek nothing more than playtime merriment and escape into ludicrously detailed fantasies, Angelica will stop at nothing to put their fun to an end.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of merriment
Noun
  • Members of the dance group Danzantes Unidos Mitotiliztli performed in October 2025 during a Dia de los Muertos celebration offered by Athziry Día de Muertos and the city of Aurora at East Aurora High School.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The former center grabbed headlines in March for commenting on a Rangers loss that coincided with the team’s Pride Night celebration.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebration
Noun
  • Nor did great merrymaking surround its 2001 move to pioneer quantitative easing.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Once ground was completely covered with shards of tableware, folks journeyed from their seats into the center of the room for more dancing and merrymaking.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Definition of merrymaking
Noun
  • Here are five things that stood out from a night of bluster and revelry in Park City.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But the more profound issue was the grubby death-cult revelry that a live stream would entail.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of revelry
Noun
  • Anchoring all this is Fiomona’s open-hearted and entertaining performance, deftly moving between emotionally heavy dramatic scenes and others full of gaiety.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 May 2026
  • The night carried a distinctly American blend of violence and gaiety.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of gaiety

Browse Nearby Words

jollification
jollity
jolly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jollity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jollity. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All