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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to joke
to make jokes
spent their nights around the campfire good-naturedly jollying and telling scary stories
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jolly
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2025
Set in the fictional town of Wellington-on-Sea, That Christmas centers on a small group of kids and adults, some of whom aren't exactly having a holly jolly holiday.
—Mary Sollosi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025
Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2025
Here’s my list of the top 12 titles in the running, starting with the one film that’s got to be feeling holly-jolly.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for jolly
Adjective
If your sad inflatable Santa looks more gloomy than your other jolly yard decor, chances are that no one else will want it either.
—Adverb
On Christmas Eve, Santa eats a jolly roll and leaps into his sleigh.
—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.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolly
Adjective
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Besides its prominent cloud belts, Jupiter's greatest telescopic treasure are its four Galilean moons that run a merry race with each other around the planet, changing their respective positions from hour to hour and night to night.—
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The residents were excited to see both, but the real dog hopped down and went on its merry way, while Jennie stuck around to be snuggled.—
Adjective
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Fortunately, there's usually plenty of pleasant autumn days after the first frost to tackle the remaining fall gardening tasks at a more leisurely rate.—
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Today the Moon in your sign is dancing with fair Venus creating pleasant feelings between you and everyone else.—
Adverb
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The senior administration official said the transfer would happen quickly because Venezuela’s crude is very heavy, which means it can’t be stored for long.—
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Pipes and sewers can be very dangerous for pets and wildlife and Roto-Rooter, with specialized equipment and personnel, has become a go-to call to save cats, dogs, turtles and more.—
Verb
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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who came onstage to present the final award for the night, joked about the standing ovation, with Cheadle noting Clooney did not receive one.—
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Roberts joked, motioning for the entire auditorium at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to stand for her.—
Adjective
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Reblooming amaryllis each year saves money and brings back its festive charm every season.—
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The annual Three Kings parade blessed Little Havana yet again this year with its festive attire.—
Adjective
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The result is luxuriously silky; a delightful foil to the crunchy graham cracker crust.—
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The sword and sorcery genre was always reliable for delightful low-budget cheese, with entries such as The Beastmaster, The Barbarians, and of course, the Deathstalker series.—
Adverb
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The first indicator is oftentimes a lack of water flow from faucets when the weather is extremely cold.—
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Skeeter, 36, serves as the Hornets’ player development coach and is also the primary person who works extremely closely with star guard LaMelo Ball.—
Adjective
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To make these journeys manageable and enjoyable, visitors must rely on local travel platforms which understand (and solve) the logistical challenges.—
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Season 2 is not without enjoyable intrigue, yet never proves worth the risk of opening a closed (literal) book.—
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolly. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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