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
-
Will the market continue to trudge along its merry path?—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
This merry, hour-long holiday extravaganza will be stacked with gifts for Bravo fans and feature a number of Yuletide Bravolebrity performances.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
6 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
-
The lid’s loop handle is very sturdy and moves up or down, which our parent tester liked for quick grabs.—
Cheryl Fenton,
Parents,
19 June 2025
-
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
-
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
-
The best overall pick was Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil for its subtle-yet-buildable luminosity, minimal transfer onto clothes, and delightful fragrance.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
17 June 2025
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To watch dancing is intrinsically delightful, and Flanagan, without doing anything exceptional with the camera, conveys a spectatorial sense of that delight.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Adverb
-
The entire bet was on a big wing shot creator who was extremely young.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
Now the men in pink can make a shock escape from this extremely tight group.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
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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