jollied; jollying
: to engage in good-natured banter
jollied and joked with sailors in the street—
Dixon Wecter
Dixon Wecter
: to put or try to put in good humor especially to gain an end
try to pay for their entertainment by jollying us along—S. E. White
S. E. WhiteExamples of jolly in a Sentence
Adjective
Our boss was a very jolly man, always laughing.
She had a jolly time at the party.
Adverb
“I've finished my assignment.” “Jolly good!”
She learned to be jolly careful in his presence.
Noun
a provocateur who gets his jollies from stirring up political controversy
Verb
spent their nights around the campfire good-naturedly jollying and telling scary stories
Recent Examples on the Web
Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
Gordon helped transform The Rizzler, a jolly 9-year-old, into this generation’s Shirley Temple.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
But is the jolly old guy, uh, hot?
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2025
Some of us got jollies in nature, beholding birds and helming summer picnics.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Director Nisha Ganatra jollies it along, with editor Eleanor Infante making as much rhythmic sense of the mix-ups and physical craziness as possible.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolly
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Adjective
Choose between five jolly patterns, including this adorable stationery-esque bow and Christmas tree option (pictured).
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
Gordon helped transform The Rizzler, a jolly 9-year-old, into this generation’s Shirley Temple.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
And not only are fans getting another installment with their favorite crime-solving trio of podcasters, but the show is leaving New York City as the trio investigates their newest mystery in jolly old London, England.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
But is the jolly old guy, uh, hot?
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
That said, there is a huge difference between a press staffer getting his jollies on social media and the assistant attorney general of the United States playing politics with personal calamity.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2025
Some of us got jollies in nature, beholding birds and helming summer picnics.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
Verb
This isn’t a report by the fun police: Twelfth Night is bursting with life and humor and should by no means be a moody slog, but Ali’s production is too intent on jollying us along.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Director Nisha Ganatra jollies it along, with editor Eleanor Infante making as much rhythmic sense of the mix-ups and physical craziness as possible.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolly
Cite this Entry
“Jolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolly. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jolly
2 of 2 adverb
: very entry 2 sense 1
a jolly good time
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