1
as in glee
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter
their unexpected merriment made him nervously inquire as to the reason for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in festivity
joyful or festive activity
the wedding reception merriment lasted long into the night
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 merriment
After you're done, keep the merriment going with the sequel.
—
Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Afterward, there are gifts for children, dreidel games, yummy chocolate gelt, and other merriment.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 14 Dec. 2025
Behold Ike Barinholtz, Jon Stewart, Abbi Jacobson, and Eric André on stage alongside Gracie and Clyde Lawrence and the entire band Lawrence, who will provide musical interludes and merriment between stories.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
But the merriment may not last long, because a Secret Santa gift exchange is about to reveal some untrustworthy players in Molly’s inner circle.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merriment
Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Afterward, there are gifts for children, dreidel games, yummy chocolate gelt, and other merriment.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 14 Dec. 2025
Behold Ike Barinholtz, Jon Stewart, Abbi Jacobson, and Eric André on stage alongside Gracie and Clyde Lawrence and the entire band Lawrence, who will provide musical interludes and merriment between stories.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
But the merriment may not last long, because a Secret Santa gift exchange is about to reveal some untrustworthy players in Molly’s inner circle.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merriment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merriment
Noun
-
The director wiped away tears as she was welcomed to the stage at the Eccles with a standing ovation; the crowd continued to clap and cheer as the cast joined her with Tatum picking up his pint-sized co-star to swing her around with glee.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
When Huskies head coach Dan Hurley called a timeout, a sellout crowd of 19,812 erupted with deafening glee.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Earlier in the week while discussing the field for the 3-point shooting contest at the NBA’s 2026 All-Star festivities in Los Angeles, Kon Knueppel must’ve had an inkling.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Actress and producer Rachael Harris hosted the evening’s festivities.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Raines replied, her usual cheerfulness stepping up a notch.—
Rebecca Boone,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Lunar New Year celebrations are in full swing as millions participate in festivities and honor traditions believed to bring good fortune.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
His government last year banned the popular Budapest Pride celebration and allowed facial recognition technology to be used to identify anyone participating despite the ban.—
MATTHEW LEE,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Museums also make for a great break from holiday-merrymaking.—
Zoe Baillargeon,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Dec. 2025
-
The merrymaking vibes are cemented with a glowing carousel, nativity scenes (belénes), and loads of handcrafted ornaments and gifts to choose from.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As skyscrapers towered over them, their cheers, chants and stomps wove through downtown Dallas.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
As athletes from Croatia and Australia were finishing their qualification efforts in the cross-country women’s team sprint event, they were joined by a four-legged friend who drew massive cheers from the crowd.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Winston Peacock’s Ghost of Christmas Present is especially winning with decidedly John Belushi-esque jollity.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Dec. 2025
-
The jollity extends to the audience, which if Friday’s night’s crowd was indication is largely filled with family and friends of the large cast and who are prone to applaud and whoop at the end of every scene.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Wang specializes in balancing tragedy with mirth (see her award-winning film The Farewell), though Expats plunges deeper into grief and darkness.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Ray, by contrast, is a figure of intermittent but undeniable mirth—a citadel of physical perfection whose sublimity occasionally touches the ridiculous.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merriment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merriment. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
