![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Tuesday word: Jolly
Feb. 11th, 2025 01:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
simplyn2deepTuesday, Feb. 11, 2025
Jolly (adjective, verb, noun, adverb)
jol·ly [jol-ee]
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.
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.
Other Words From
jol·li·ly adverb
jol·li·ness noun
un·jol·ly adjective
Related Words
carefree, cheerful, chipper, convivial, enjoyable, festive, jovial, joyous, lighthearted, merry, playful, pleasant
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1–3. glad, spirited, jovial, sportive, playful. See gay.
Antonyms
1–3. gloomy, melancholy.
Origin: 1275–1325; Middle English joli, jolif < Old French, equivalent to jol- (probably < Old Norse jol Yule ) + -if -ive
Recent Examples on the Web
The same jolly collection also returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart for another year.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Winter break is a jolly time of the year for many children.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 31 Dec. 2024
Demi Moore is having a jolly good time with her family this holiday season!
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
That Hilty and Simard make it so jolly is a big relief and a big surprise.
—Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
The 4Chan programmers got their viral sensation and their jollies.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
Sunday was a tough day for those, like me, who get their entertainment jollies by watching losers try to redeem themselves.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
As to the political will needed to jolly the process along, and arrange payment for those parts of the programme that will not pay for themselves, this can push both ways.
—The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019
So Watt sets out to convince them that the real killer is Peter Manuel by — wait for it! — taking him out on a bender and jollying him into a confession.
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, 19 May 2017
Jolly (adjective, verb, noun, adverb)
jol·ly [jol-ee]
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.
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.
Other Words From
jol·li·ly adverb
jol·li·ness noun
un·jol·ly adjective
Related Words
carefree, cheerful, chipper, convivial, enjoyable, festive, jovial, joyous, lighthearted, merry, playful, pleasant
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1–3. glad, spirited, jovial, sportive, playful. See gay.
Antonyms
1–3. gloomy, melancholy.
Origin: 1275–1325; Middle English joli, jolif < Old French, equivalent to jol- (probably < Old Norse jol Yule ) + -if -ive
Recent Examples on the Web
The same jolly collection also returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart for another year.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Winter break is a jolly time of the year for many children.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 31 Dec. 2024
Demi Moore is having a jolly good time with her family this holiday season!
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
That Hilty and Simard make it so jolly is a big relief and a big surprise.
—Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
The 4Chan programmers got their viral sensation and their jollies.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
Sunday was a tough day for those, like me, who get their entertainment jollies by watching losers try to redeem themselves.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
As to the political will needed to jolly the process along, and arrange payment for those parts of the programme that will not pay for themselves, this can push both ways.
—The Economist, 21 Sep. 2019
So Watt sets out to convince them that the real killer is Peter Manuel by — wait for it! — taking him out on a bender and jollying him into a confession.
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, 19 May 2017
