Synonyms of merry

merry

adjective

ˈmer-ē 

as in jolly

indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor

the traditional depiction of Santa Claus as a rotund man with merry, twinkling blue eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jolly
• festive
• cheerful
• lively
• laughing
• jovial
• mirthful
• joyful
• sunny
• witty
• happy
• gleeful
• funny
• jocose
• jocular
• blithe
• jocund
• amused
• playful
• bright
• smiling
• blithesome
• humorous
• amusing
• gay
• spirited
• delighted
• joking
• joyous
• cheery
• carefree
• lighthearted
• blissful
• upbeat
• animated
• ecstatic
• exuberant
• buoyant
• jubilant
• perky
• frisky
• vivacious
• jaunty
• sprightly
• chipper
• giggling
• exultant
• frolicsome
• peppy
• bouncing
• rapturous
• optimistic
• radiant
• blessed
• euphoric
• enraptured
• hilarious
• flippant
• chuckling
• sportive
• lightsome
• gladsome
• high
• rosy
• easygoing
• unconcerned
• riotous
• hopeful
• facetious
• cavalier
• comic
• beaming
• insouciant
• sanguine
• comical
• thrilled
• jesting
• zippy
• overjoyed
• elated
• exhilarated
• uproarious
• ravished
• farcical
• happy-go-lucky
• tickled
• antic
• joshing
• sprightful
• entranced
• devil-may-care
• sidesplitting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sad
• unhappy
• blue
• sorrowful
• melancholy
• depressed
• glum
• disconsolate
• anguished
• dispirited
• aggrieved
• forlorn
• downcast
• dejected
• despondent
• crying
• abject
• crestfallen
• weeping
• heartbroken
• discontented
• wailing
• saddened
• brokenhearted
• disheartened
• disgruntled
• moody
• doleful
• mournful
• dark
• joyless
• lugubrious
• sobbing
• gloomy
• low-spirited
• heartsick
• sorry
• downhearted
• cheerless
• sullen
• black
• gray
• dolorous
• somber
• woeful
• plaintive
• morose
• bleak
• heavyhearted
• dreary
• dismal
• desolate
• depressing
• miserable
• lachrymose
• moaning
• saturnine
• groaning
• wretched
• comfortless
• dull
• woebegone
• sluggish
• listless
• lethargic
• torpid

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective merry differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of merry are blithe, jocund, jolly, and jovial. While all these words mean "showing high spirits or lightheartedness," merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.

a merry group of revelers

When can blithe be used instead of merry?

The synonyms blithe and merry are sometimes interchangeable, but blithe suggests carefree, innocent, or even heedless gaiety.

arrived late in his usual blithe way

When could jocund be used to replace merry?

Although the words jocund and merry have much in common, jocund stresses elation and exhilaration of spirits.

singing, dancing, and jocund feasting

In what contexts can jolly take the place of merry?

The words jolly and merry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, jolly suggests high spirits expressed in laughing, bantering, and jesting.

our jolly host enlivened the party

When is it sensible to use jovial instead of merry?

While in some cases nearly identical to merry, jovial suggests the stimulation of conviviality and good fellowship.

dinner put them in a jovial mood

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of merry

Four hundred years later, a merry band of scientists and entrepreneurs of mind-altering intoxicants are plunging even deeper into the diabolical by mechanizing DMT’s delivery via IV syringe pumps. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 July 2026

No decision fatigue or awkward conversations to be had; the more, the merrier, baby! — Emma Specter, Vogue, 6 July 2026

Some may argue that the more the merrier applies as much to advocacy for social justice as to anything else. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026

When former President Barack Obama addressed the massive, merry crowd at the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony on June 18, a few lines landed like a balm. — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026