merriness

noun

Definition of merrinessnext
as in cheerfulness
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter I hate the forced merriness of so many New Year's Eve parties

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for merriness
  1. cheerfulness
  2. glee
  3. festivity
  4. cheer
Noun
  • Kikuko sometimes mistook Shigejiro’s cheerfulness for egoism owing to the distortions produced by her illness.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Positive qualities—promptness, diligence, cheerfulness—sped up your ascent through the ranks; negative ones—laziness, dissipation, late mornings—slowed it down.
    — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Definition of cheerfulness
Noun
  • Republicans are rubbing their hands in glee at the neocommunist advance in their opposing party.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • To the director’s glee, modern audiences may be more uncomfortable with Erika and Elliot’s lopsided power dynamic than the sight of sweet-faced Hoffman in a pig mask and panties.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of glee
Noun
  • Saturday’s festivities will include crafts, story time, a scavenger hunt and the chance to see hundreds of fish in their colorful new environment for the first time in months.
    — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The festivities started in 1841, and today’s visitors enjoy some of the same activities, like animal exhibitions and farm product demonstrations.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of festivity
Noun
  • Partisans of the Ellroy and Penzler definition probably wouldn’t say so, except perhaps as a diss, proof of a contemporary inability to face misery without slapping on some good cheer at the end.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There were cheers and boos as more than 60 speakers took the stand, each having three minutes allotted at the podium.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheer
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.

Browse Nearby Words

merriment
merriness
merry
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Merriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merriness. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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