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
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Special props to the jolly axe-throwing head of adventure, Nye Rees; personable Brasserie maitre d’, Javier Padron; and trainer Peter Sullivan, who explained the finer points of fasting for women whilst crucifying my glutes.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
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
Jason Maddy disappears into multiple roles including the sleazy diner owner, the jolly Napa depot manager who pre-reads everyone’s mail and the wise doctor who treats Tony after a car accident.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
Adverb
But traders were cautious about jumping on a jolly bandwagon too soon.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Special props to the jolly axe-throwing head of adventure, Nye Rees; personable Brasserie maitre d’, Javier Padron; and trainer Peter Sullivan, who explained the finer points of fasting for women whilst crucifying my glutes.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
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
-
Margaret, like Daniel, ends up on the lam, and Spielberg whisks the audience along for these two merry chases.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
-
Reddit threads and gossip pages are ablaze with speculation about who will get the invite, but Swift seems to be opting for a more-the-merrier approach.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
And then the 1970s British folk rock gives way to a less pleasant auditory landscape, as the hum appears, bringing on headaches and nosebleeds and affecting her concentration and mood, her work and family.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
There's the pleasant experience of interacting with them.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
The fans have been amazing, very loud and cheered us on.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
But Roberts figures to have two other very worthy options.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
When Lois Neville and Ellen Boudreau-Den Herder became co-executive directors of the Hollywood Fringe Festival in early 2020, their first job, Neville likes to joke, was to cancel it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Brittany Bell jokes that doctorate dissertation is 'coincidental' Bell, who also has a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and a master's degree from Pepperdine University, spoke about her doctoral dissertation in the February 2025 interview.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
All of the ducks don festive attire during holidays and big New England sports events.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Americana Napkins No Fourth of July party is complete without festive napkins.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
All three are delightful, but in completely different ways.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
Two differing criminal factions want a load of cocaine, but when a poor farmer named Kaalayan (Guru Somasundaram) gets wind of it, his life briefly entangles with the crime bosses, resulting in a bloody final showdown and a delightful twist ending.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
According to Outword Magazine Fred Palmer, the owner of Scott’s, Alan Irvine, is extremely gay supportive and has hosted numerous events for both Outword and the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce (see below).—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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The whole episode is a reminder to product designers everywhere that users can be extremely sensitive to the seemingly smallest changes — and Spotify clearly had not anticipated that a teeny-tiny disco ball drop would prove to be unpopular.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Another beachgoer said the seaweed made spending time in the water less enjoyable than usual.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
The common thread is finding something sustainable and enjoyable enough to do regularly.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolly. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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