merriment

noun

mer·​ri·​ment ˈmer-i-mənt 

ˈme-ri-

1

: lighthearted gaiety or fun-making : hilarity

2

: a lively celebration or party : festivity

Synonyms

• cheer
• cheerfulness
• cheeriness
• festivity
• gaiety
• gayety
• gayness
• glee
• gleefulness
• hilarity
• jocundity
• joviality
• merriness
• mirth
• mirthfulness

Examples of merriment in a Sentence

a time of great joy and merriment

Their house was always filled with merriment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, sadly, Vincent Kompany — last spotted at the scene of Burnley’s fairly meek relegation from the Premier League — has said yes, depriving European soccer of one of the few opportunities for general merriment in a business that, as a rule, takes itself intensely seriously. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 May 2024

In fact, if you're surrounded by gaiety and merriment but not having the best of times yourself, all that festivity can make your own solitude even more miserable. —Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 6 Nov. 2023

Thanksgiving is a time when millions of American families come together each year for food and merriment. —Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023

The whole family will find merriment in hopping aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, a four-hour, 26-mile, round-trip journey that begins and ends at the historic depot in Blue Ridge. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

merriment

noun

mer·​ri·​ment ˈmer-i-mənt 

: mirth, fun