Nearby Words

jollily

[jol-ee] Origin

jol·ly

[jol-ee] adjective, -li·er, -li·est, verb, -lied, -ly·ing, noun, plural -lies, adverb
adjective
1.
in good spirits; gay; merry: In a moment he was as jolly as ever.
2.
cheerfully festive or convivial: a jolly party.
3.
joyous; happy: Christmas is a jolly season.
4.
Chiefly British Informal. delightful; charming.
5.
British.
a.
Informal. great; thorough: a jolly blunderer.
b.
Slang. slightly drunk; tipsy.
verb (used with object)
6.
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.

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Jollily is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
verb (used without object)
7.
Informal. to jolly a person; josh; kid.
noun
8.
Informal. the practice or an instance of jollying a person.
9.
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.
adverb
10.
British Informal. extremely; very: He'll jolly well do as he's told.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English joli, jolif < Old French, equivalent to jol- (probably < Old Norse jōl Yule) + -if -ive

jol·li·ly, adverb
jol·li·ness, noun
un·jol·ly, adjective


1–3. glad, spirited, jovial, sportive, playful. See gay.


1–3. gloomy, melancholy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

jolly
c.1300, from O.Fr. jolif "festive, merry, amorous, pretty" of uncertain origin (cf. It. giulivo "merry, pleasant"), perhaps a Gmc. loan-word from a source akin to O.N. jol "a winter feast" (see yule), or from L. gaudere "to rejoice." Jollification "merrymaking" is from 1809;
EXPAND
shortened form jolly led to phrase get (one's) jollies "have fun" (1957). A jolly boat (1727) is probably from Dan. jolle (17c.) or Du. jol (1680s), both related to yawl (q.v.); or it may be from M.E. jolywat (late 15c.) "a ship's small boat," of unknown origin.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

jolly definition


  1. mod.
    alcohol intoxicated; tipsy. : Kelly was a little too jolly, and her sister told her to slow down.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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