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
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 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
-
Discovering its contents, day in and day out throughout the course of the merriest month of the year, will give you a taste of Glasshouse Fragrances’ bestselling formulas that please even the pickiest of noses.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Customer service was easy and pleasant.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Stierli is particularly concerned with the situation at Great Falls, where trails and picturesque cliffsides along the Potomac River attract many visitors, especially with this weekend’s pleasant weather.—
Brian Todd,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Monster has debuted into this very fraught political moment where, despite no evidence showing a link between violence and transness, right-wingers have gone to great pains to paint almost every mass shooter who makes front page news as trans in hopes of stripping trans people of their rights.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In early 2024, support for Israel’s war was very high, if lower among Democrats.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Of course, TikTok viewers couldn’t resist joking about Bentley and Prada’s setup.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Munich airport was shut down this morning due to unauthorized drones in its airspace, and Putin joked about it in Sochi.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Equal parts creepy and campy, Ultra Skelly is a wickedly fun way to raise your Halloween game from festive to frightful.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Jews then partake in a festive after-fast meal, turning the evening into a yom tov (festival).—
Krys'tal Griffin,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The nocturnal creature, known for its elusive nature, was a delightful surprise for the conservationists monitoring the area.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As a guest of the 7-key property, you’re encouraged to attend happy hour on the porch, a delightful time of day when the homemade sangria flows freely.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Some genres may be extremely violent and gory, so parents may want to consider supervising their children's viewing of films or avoid them altogether.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Grain bins and silos can be extremely deadly if people get trapped inside.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The day after his victory, Gurgel’s wife called Kerr and invited him over for lunch, and although Kerr worried he might get jumped, instead the two fighters had an enjoyable meal and chat.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Upgrading to a fresh board, especially wood, makes prep safer and much more enjoyable.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolly. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share