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jolly

 - 4 dictionary results

jol⋅ly

  [jol-ee] adjective, -li⋅er, -li⋅est, verb, -lied, -ly⋅ing, noun, plural -lies, adverb
Use jolly in a Sentence
–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, esp. in the hope of gaining something (usually followed by along): They jollied him along until the job was done.
–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, esp. 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; ME joli, jolif < OF, equiv. to jol- (prob. < ON jōl Yule) + -if -ive

Related forms:
jol⋅li⋅ly, adverb
jol⋅li⋅ness, noun

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

Antonyms:
1–3. gloomy, melancholy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To jolly
jol·ly   (jŏl'ē)   
adj.   jol·li·er, jol·li·est

  1. Full of good humor and high spirits.

  2. Exhibiting or occasioning happiness or mirth; cheerful: a jolly tune.

  3. Greatly pleasing; enjoyable: had a jolly time.

adv.   Chiefly British
To a great extent or degree; extremely.
v.   jol·lied, jol·ly·ing, jol·lies

v.   tr.
To keep amused or diverted for one's own purposes; humor.
v.   intr.
To amuse oneself with humorous banter.
n.   pl. jol·lies

  1. Chiefly British A good or festive time.

  2. jollies Slang Amusement; kicks: However you get your jollies is fine with me.


[Middle English joli, from Old French, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]
jol'li·ly adv., jol'li·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
jolly

  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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Word Origin & History

jolly 
c.1305, 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; 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 (1682), both related to yawl (q.v.); or it may be from M.E. jolywat (1495) "a ship's small boat," of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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