1
as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor
an especially jolly crowd of well-wishers at their wedding reception
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses
we always have a jolly time at their seaside cottage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in very
to a great degree
I jolly well agree that you did the right thing has become a jolly careful driver since his recent accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to joke
to make jokes
spent their nights around the campfire good-naturedly jollying and telling scary stories
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jolly
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
The shiny, vinyl-like fabric gave the look a modern, sporty edge, tying it back to the game-day setting.
Mahomes and Kelce paired the festive jolly coats with their red and white Chiefs uniforms, blending seamlessly with the football team’s signature colors.
—Ty Gaskins, WWD, 26 Dec. 2024
Jenny Allen, New Yorker, 19 June 2025
Mariah Carey’s Tune Rarely Disappears for Long The jolly smash hasn’t been away from either of these lists for very long, even though Christmas is several months in the rearview mirror.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
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
Adjective
The musician also passed away on Christmas Day back in 2016, so the jolly time is also somewhat somber for longtime lovers of the artist.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
The shiny, vinyl-like fabric gave the look a modern, sporty edge, tying it back to the game-day setting.
Mahomes and Kelce paired the festive jolly coats with their red and white Chiefs uniforms, blending seamlessly with the football team’s signature colors.
—Ty Gaskins, WWD, 26 Dec. 2024
Adverb
And today, my goodness, there’s a jolly little trio
Of young men in hospital scrubs, standing around smoking away,
On their break from Mount Sinai West.
—Jenny Allen, New Yorker, 19 June 2025
Mariah Carey’s Tune Rarely Disappears for Long The jolly smash hasn’t been away from either of these lists for very long, even though Christmas is several months in the rearview mirror.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolly
Adjective
-
The Lower East Side location is now home to Comal—a new, eclectic Mexican restaurant from chef Gaz Herbert, a Cuernavaca native—and the same downtown crowd seems to have found its merry way there.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
19 July 2025
-
History doesn’t record whether this plea was met with a merry hail of fat envelopes or with silence.—
Daniel Seifert,
JSTOR Daily,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Like, so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Like so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
12 July 2025
Adverb
-
Pregame pyrotechnics at Nissan Stadium ignited a brief – but very noticeable – fire next to the sideline near one of the end zones.—
Gentry Estes,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
-
And notably Melvin Capital, which had a very large short position against GameStop, lost billions of dollars and closed because of this trade.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
-
The Coldplay camera video has been joked about by other artists, including Liam Gallagher who said cheaters would be safe at Oasis’ shows.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
25 July 2025
-
The episode also mentioned the controversy over the ongoing fallout over the Jeffrey Epstein list and joked about CBS and Paramount recent announcement that Stephen Colbert's Late Show is to be cancelled.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Both are extra-ticket affairs with special entertainment programming, festive foods and access to select attractions and characters.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
-
Even today, the dish retains these communal roots and is often the star of a big Sunday lunch or festive gathering of family and friends.—
Sofia Perez,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
The amount of allergy-inducing pollen is minimal, and the pollinator population benefits from the delightful oasis.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 July 2025
-
There are many ways to freshen your fridge naturally, and using an orange is an especially delightful way.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
21 July 2025
Adverb
-
It’s coated in a thin layer of real gold – not just to look fancy, but because gold reflects infrared light extremely well.—
Adi Foord,
Space.com,
26 July 2025
-
The destination has an extremely low crime rate, no hurricanes in recent history and a strong health care system.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Adverb
-
But in practice, most boards aren’t terribly interested in the minutiae of fiscal responsibility and operational efficiencies.—
Matthew Scogin,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
There’s nothing terribly significant about the six-month mark since the Eaton and Palisades fires, or any other history-book disaster.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolly. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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