jolly

1 of 4

adjective

jol·​ly ˈjä-lē 

jollier; jolliest

1

a(1)

: full of high spirits : joyous

Think no more, lad; laugh, be jolly …

—A. E. Housman

(2)

: given to conviviality : jovial

a jolly companion

b

: expressing, suggesting, or inspiring lively happiness and good cheer : cheerful

jolly laughter

2

: extremely pleasant or agreeable : splendid

had a jolly time

jolly

2 of 4

adverb

: very

… would … do as they were jolly well told.

—John Stockbridge

jolly

3 of 4

noun

plural jollies

1

chiefly British : a good time : jollification

2

jollies plural : kicks

… get their jollies from skewering the medium that employs them.

—Harry F. Waters

jolly

4 of 4

verb

jollied; jollying

intransitive verb

: to engage in good-natured banter

… jollied and joked with sailors in the street.

—Dixon Wecter

transitive verb

: to put or try to put in good humor especially to gain an end

… try to pay for their entertainment by jollying us along.

—Stewart Edward White

Synonyms of jolly

Adjective

• merry
• festive

Adverb

• very
• extremely
• terribly
• incredibly
• damned
• damn
• too
• highly
• so
• badly
• really
• super
• desperately
• severely
• seriously
• full
• mighty
• intensely

Noun

• thrill
• kick

Verb

• joke
• fun

Choose the Right Synonym for jolly

merry, blithe, jocund, jovial, jolly mean showing high spirits or lightheartedness.

merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.

a merry group of revelers

blithe suggests carefree, innocent, or even heedless gaiety.

arrived late in his usual blithe way

jocund stresses elation and exhilaration of spirits.

singing, dancing, and jocund feasting

jovial suggests the stimulation of conviviality and good fellowship.

dinner put them in a jovial mood

jolly suggests high spirits expressed in laughing, bantering, and jesting.

our jolly host enlivened the party

Examples of jolly in a Sentence

Adjective

Our boss was a very jolly man, always laughing.

She had a jolly time at the party.

Adverb

“I've finished my assignment.” “Jolly good!”

She learned to be jolly careful in his presence.

Noun

a provocateur who gets his jollies from stirring up political controversy

Verb

spent their nights around the campfire good-naturedly jollying and telling scary stories

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Choose between five jolly patterns, including this adorable stationery-esque bow and Christmas tree option (pictured). —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025

Gordon helped transform The Rizzler, a jolly 9-year-old, into this generation’s Shirley Temple. —Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025

Adverb

And not only are fans getting another installment with their favorite crime-solving trio of podcasters, but the show is leaving New York City as the trio investigates their newest mystery in jolly old London, England. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025

But is the jolly old guy, uh, hot? —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025

Noun

That said, there is a huge difference between a press staffer getting his jollies on social media and the assistant attorney general of the United States playing politics with personal calamity. —Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2025

Some of us got jollies in nature, beholding birds and helming summer picnics. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English joli, from Anglo-French jolif, from jol-, probably from Old Norse jōl midwinter festival — more at yule

Adverb

derivative of jolly entry 1

Noun

derivative of jolly entry 1

Verb

derivative of jolly entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adverb

1549, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1610, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing jolly

• jolly boat
• jolly well

Rhymes for jolly

• colley
• collie
• dolly
• folly
• golly
• holly
• jolley
• lolly
• mollie
• molly
• ollie
• polly

Kids Definition

jolly

1 of 2 adjective

jol·​ly ˈjäl-ē 

jollier; jolliest

1

a

: merry sense 1, cheerful

b

: jovial

2

: very pleasant or agreeable : splendid

jolly

2 of 2 adverb

: very entry 2 sense 1

a jolly good time