jolly
in good spirits; lively; merry: In a moment he was as jolly as ever.
cheerfully festive or convivial: a jolly party.
joyous; happy: Christmas is a jolly season.
Chiefly British Informal. delightful; charming.
British.
Informal. great; thorough: a jolly blunderer.
Slang. slightly drunk; tipsy.
Informal. to talk or act agreeably to (a person) in order to keep that person in good humor, especially in the hope of gaining something (usually followed by along): They jollied him along until the job was done.
Informal. to jolly a person; josh; kid.
Informal. the practice or an instance of jollying a person.
Usually jollies. Informal. pleasurable excitement, especially from or as if from something forbidden or improper; thrills; kicks: He gets his jollies from watching horror movies.
British Informal. extremely; very: He'll jolly well do as he's told.
Origin of jolly
1Other words for jolly
Opposites for jolly
Other words from jolly
- jol·li·ly, adverb
- jol·li·ness, noun
- un·jol·ly, adjective
Words Nearby jolly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use jolly in a sentence
The incident sparked his belief in Santa, but he would have to wait nearly two decades before dressing up as jolly St. Nick.
Kerry Bentivolio: The Congressman Who Believes in Santa Claus | Ben Jacobs | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLike jolly, most of the women raced other motorized vehicles before making it into Monster Jam.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture | Eliza Krigman | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTjolly somehow finds the time to also manage a restaurant and help kids who have Autism and Down syndrome ride horses.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture | Eliza Krigman | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTjolly, who entered the racing world when she was eight years old, remembers being taunted as a kid.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture | Eliza Krigman | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTjolly and Creten, who are both married to Monster Jam drivers (Neil Elliott and Jimmy Creten, respectively), have kids.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture | Eliza Krigman | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Mrs. jolly Robin had often wished—when she was trying to feed a rapidly-growing family—that she could hunt forp.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyAnd then jolly Robin would feel ashamed that he had even thought of being so cruel to an infant bird, even if he was a Cowbird.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyAnd then, probably, jolly Robin would laugh and tell her not to mind, for there ought to be worms enough for everybody.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyThen a shower of dirt flew into their faces and both jolly Robin and his wife tumbled over backward.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyWhile the refined exquisite was giving his order, a jolly western drover had listened with opened mouth and protruding eyes.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
British Dictionary definitions for jolly
/ (ˈdʒɒlɪ) /
full of good humour; jovial
having or provoking gaiety and merrymaking; festive
greatly enjoyable; pleasing
British (intensifier): you're jolly nice
(often foll by up or along) to try to make or keep (someone) cheerful
to make goodnatured fun of
informal, mainly British a festivity or celebration
informal, mainly British a trip, esp one made for pleasure by a public official or committee at public expense
British slang a Royal Marine
Origin of jolly
1Derived forms of jolly
- jolliness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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