Nearby Words
adjective, mer·ri·er, mer·ri·est.
Idiom1.
full of cheerfulness or gaiety; joyous in disposition or spirit: a merry little man.
2.
laughingly happy; mirthful; festively joyous; hilarious: a merry time at the party.
3.
Archaic. causing happiness; pleasant; delightful.
4.
make merry,
a.
to be happy or festive: The New Year's revelers were making merry in the ballroom.
b.
to make fun of; ridicule: The unthinking children made merry of the boy who had no shoes.
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Merry
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Origin:
before 900; Middle English meri(e), myrie, murie, Old English myr(i)ge, mer(i)ge pleasant, delightful
before 900; Middle English meri(e), myrie, murie, Old English myr(i)ge, mer(i)ge pleasant, delightful
Related forms
mer·ri·ly, adverb
mer·ri·ness, noun
o·ver·mer·ri·ly, adverb
o·ver·mer·ri·ness, noun
o·ver·mer·ry, adjective
EXPANDSynonyms
1. happy, blithe, blithesome, frolicsome, cheery, glad. See gay. 2. jolly, jovial, gleeful.
1. happy, blithe, blithesome, frolicsome, cheery, glad. See gay. 2. jolly, jovial, gleeful.
Antonyms
1. sad. 2. solemn.
1. sad. 2. solemn.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To Merry
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
merry
O.E. myrige "pleasing, agreeable," from P.Gmc. *murgijaz, which probably originally meant "short-lasting" (cf. O.H.G. murg "short," Goth. gamaurgjan "to shorten"). Connection to "pleasure" is likely via notion of "making time fly" (cf. Ger. Kurzweil "pastime," lit. "a short time;" O.N. skemta "to amuse,"
EXPANDfrom skamt, neut. of skammr "short"). The only exact cognate for meaning outside Eng. was in M.Du. (cf. M.Du. mergelijc "joyful"). For vowel evolution, see bury.
COLLAPSE
"Bot vchon enle we wolde were fyf, þe mo þe myryer." [c.1300]The word had much wider senses in M.E., e.g. "pleasant-sounding" (of animal voices), "fine" (of weather), "handsome" (of dress), "pleasant-tasting" (of herbs). Merry-man "companion or follower of a knight, outlaw, etc." is attested from late 14c. The first record of merry-go-round is from 1729. Merry-bout "an incident of sexual intercourse" was low slang from 1780. Merry-begot "illegitimate" (adj.), "bastard" (n.) is from 1785. Merrie England (now frequently satirical or ironic) is 14c. meri ingland, originally in a broader sense of "bountiful, prosperous." Merry Monday was 16c. term for "the Monday before Shrove Tuesday" (Mardi Gras).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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