jolly

Noun · Verb · Adjective · Adverb
Synonyms: jolly boatkidchaffjoshbantergayjocundjovialmerrymirthfulreasonablymoderately

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. a happy party
  2. a yawl used by a ship's sailors for general workSynonyms: jolly boat

Verb (1)

  1. be silly or tease one another“After we relaxed, we just kidded around”Synonyms: kidchaffjoshbanter

Adjective (1)

  1. full of or showing high-spirited merriment“when hearts were young and gay”“a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company — Wordsworth”“the jolly crowd at the reunion”“jolly old Saint Nick”“a jovial old gentleman”“have a merry Christmas”“peals of merry laughter”“a mirthful laugh”Synonyms: gayjocundjovialmerrymirthful

Adverb (1)

  1. to a moderately sufficient extent or degree“pretty big”“pretty bad”“jolly decent of him”“the shoes are priced reasonably”“he is fairly clever with computers”Synonyms: reasonablymoderatelyprettysomewhatfairlymiddlingpassably
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Jolly \Jol"ly\ (j[o^]l"l[y^]), a. [Compar. Jollier (-l[i^]*[~e]r); superl. Jolliest.] [OF. joli, jolif, joyful, merry, F. joli pretty; of Scand. origin, akin to E. yule; cf. Icel. j[=o]l yule, Christmas feast. See Yule.] [1913 Webster]

1.Full of life and mirth; jovial; joyous; merry; mirthful. [1913 Webster]

Like a jolly troop of huntsmen.— Shak.[1913 Webster]
"A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! But something ails it now: the spot is cursed."— Wordsworth.[1913 Webster]

2.Expressing mirth, or inspiring it; exciting mirth and gayety. [1913 Webster]

And with his jolly pipe delights the groves.— Prior.[1913 Webster]
Their jolly notes they chanted loud and clear.— Fairfax.[1913 Webster]

3.Of fine appearance; handsome; excellent; lively; agreeable; pleasant. "A jolly cool wind." --Sir T. North. [Now mostly colloq.] [1913 Webster]

Full jolly knight he seemed, and fair did sit.— Spenser.[1913 Webster]
The coachman is swelled into jolly dimensions.— W. Irving.[1913 Webster]
Jolly \Jol"ly\ (j[o^]l"l[y^]), v. t. To cause to be jolly; to make good-natured; to encourage to feel pleasant or cheerful; -- often implying an insincere or bantering spirit; hence, to poke fun at. [Colloq.]

We want you to jolly them up a bit. --Brander Matthews.

At noon we lunched at the tail of the ambulance, and gently "jollied" the doctor's topography. --F. Remington. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Jolly \Jol"ly\ (j[o^]l"l[y^]), n.; pl. Jollies (j[o^]l"l[i^]z). [Prob. fr. Jolly, a.] A marine in the English navy. [Sailor's Slang]

I'm a Jolly -- 'Er Majesty's Jolly -- soldier an' sailor too! --Kipling. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

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