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 by reenacting famous murders

—H. 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

—S. E. White

Synonyms

Adjective

• blithe
• blithesome
• festive
• gay
• gleeful
• jocose
• jocular
• jocund
• jovial
• laughing
• merry
• mirthful
• sunny

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

• bang
• boot
• charge
• exhilaration
• frisson
• kick
• rush
• thrill
• titillation
• wallop

Verb

• banter
• chaff
• fool
• fun
• gag
• jape
• jest
• jive
• joke
• josh
• kid
• quip
• wisecrack
• yuk [slang]
• yuck

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

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Verb

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

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

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