jollied; jollying
: to engage in good-natured banter
jollied and joked with sailors in the street—
Dixon Wecter
Dixon Wecter
: to put or try to put in good humor especially to gain an end
try to pay for their entertainment by jollying us along—S. E. White
S. E. WhiteSynonyms
Adjective
Adverb
- achingly
- almighty
- archly
- awful
- awfully
- badly
- beastly
- blisteringly
- bone
- colossally
- corking
- cracking
- damn
- damned
- dang
- deadly
- desperately
- eminently
- enormously
- especially
- ever
- exceedingly
- exceeding
- extra
- extremely
- fabulously
- fantastically
- far
- fiercely
- filthy
- frightfully
- full
- greatly
- heavily
- highly
- hugely
- immensely
- incredibly
- intensely
- majorly
- mightily
- mighty
- monstrous [chiefly dialect]
- mortally
- most
- much
- particularly
- passing
- rattling
- real
- really
- right
- roaring
- roaringly
- seriously
- severely
- so
- sore
- sorely
- spanking
- specially
- stinking
- such
- super
- supremely
- surpassingly
- terribly
- that
- thumping
- too
- unco
- uncommonly
- vastly
- very
- vitally
- way
- whacking
- wicked
- wildly
Noun
Verb
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
Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024
He’s even currently being beaten by another one of his own jolly tracks.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Keith Langston, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Following a jolly music performance, the Australian star inaugurated the confetti cannon with Santa.
—Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
Sunday was a tough day for those, like me, who get their entertainment jollies by watching losers try to redeem themselves.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019
So Watt sets out to convince them that the real killer is Peter Manuel by — wait for it! — taking him out on a bender and jollying him into a confession.
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, 19 May 2017
See all Example Sentences for jolly 
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.
Adjective
Bundle up and get ready to enjoy a jolly season this December, this month is packed with holiday celebrations.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024
He’s even currently being beaten by another one of his own jolly tracks.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Adverb
No Christmas movie marathon would be complete without these timeless holiday classics
Comments
‘Tis the season for all things holly and jolly, and what better way to celebrate the Christmas season than with a classic Christmas movie?
—Keith Langston, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Following a jolly music performance, the Australian star inaugurated the confetti cannon with Santa.
—Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
The 4Chan programmers got their viral sensation and their jollies.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
Sunday was a tough day for those, like me, who get their entertainment jollies by watching losers try to redeem themselves.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Verb
As to the political will needed to jolly the process along, and arrange payment for those parts of the programme that will not pay for themselves, this can push both ways.
—The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019
So Watt sets out to convince them that the real killer is Peter Manuel by — wait for it! — taking him out on a bender and jollying him into a confession.
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, 19 May 2017
See all Example Sentences for jolly
Articles Related to jolly
Dictionary Entries Near jolly
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolly. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jolly
2 of 2 adverb
: very entry 2 sense 1
a jolly good time
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share