merry

¹

[ mer-ee ]

adjective

, mer·ri·er, mer·ri·est.

1. full of cheerfulness or gaiety; joyous in disposition or spirit:

   a merry little man.

   Synonyms: glad, cheery, frolicsome, blithesome, blithe, happy

   Antonyms: sad

2. laughingly happy; mirthful; festively joyous; hilarious:

   a merry time at the party.

   Synonyms: gleeful, jovial, jolly

   Antonyms: solemn

3. Archaic. causing happiness; pleasant; delightful.

Merry

²

[ mer-ee ]

noun

1. a female given name.

merry

/ ˈmɛrɪ /

adjective

1. cheerful; jolly
2. very funny; hilarious
3. informal.
   slightly drunk
4. archaic.
   delightful
5. make merry
   to revel; be festive
6. play merry hell with informal.
   to disturb greatly; disrupt

Pronunciation Note

See Mary.

Derived Forms

• ˈmerrily, adverb
• ˈmerriness, noun

Other Words From

• mer·ri·ly adverb
• mer·ri·ness noun
• o·ver·mer·ri·ly adverb
• o·ver·mer·ri·ness noun
• o·ver·mer·ry adjective
• un·mer·ri·ly adverb
• un·mer·ry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of merry¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English meri(e),myrie, murie, Old English myr(i)ge, mer(i)ge “pleasant, delightful”

Word History and Origins

Origin of merry¹

Old English merige agreeable

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. make merry, Older Use.
   1. to be happy or festive:

      The New Year's revelers were making merry in the ballroom.

   2. to make fun of; ridicule:

      The unthinking children made merry of the boy who had no shoes.

Example Sentences

Now, 43, he has a bit of a rugged edge — something that is serving him well in his latest role in the “Magic Mike”-meets-mistletoe flick “The Merry Gentlemen.”

From Los Angeles Times

When it came to “The Merry Gentlemen,” it was no coincidence that Murray’s character was called Luke, a name shared by several of his previous characters, including in “Mother of the Bride” earlier this year.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s partly what drew him to holiday movies like “The Merry Gentlemen” and Hallmark’s “Write Before Christmas,” “Love in Winterland” and “Road to Christmas.”

From Los Angeles Times

With his index finger firmly pressed against his chiseled jawline, he’s trying to determine exactly how many times he’s shirtless in “The Merry Gentlemen.”

From Los Angeles Times

Among the cards sold through Temu was nadolig llawen mam a dad - merry Christmas mum and dad in Welsh - featuring two hedgehogs nose to nose while snow falls.

From BBC

Related Words

• amusing
• cheerful
• comical
• enjoyable
• fun-loving
• glad
• hilarious
• jolly
• joyful
• joyous
• lighthearted
• lively
• mad
• pleasant
• rollicking
• sunny
• winsome