1. adj., adv., v., & n.
--adj. (jollier, jolliest)
1. cheerful and good-humoured; merry.
2 festive, jovial.
3 slightly drunk.
4 colloq. (of a person or thing) very pleasant, delightful (often iron.: a jolly shame).
--adv. colloq. very (they were jolly unlucky).
--v.tr. (-ies, -ied)
1. (usu. foll. by along) colloq. coax or humour (a person) in a friendly way.
2 chaff, banter.
--n. (pl. -ies) colloq. a party or celebration.
Phrases and idioms:
Jolly Roger a pirates' black flag, usu. with the skull and crossbones.
Derivatives:
jollily adv. jolliness n.
Etymology: ME f. OF jolif gay, pretty, perh. f. ON j{oacute}l YULE 2. n. (pl. -ies) jolly boat) a clinker-built ship's boat smaller than a cutter.
Etymology: 18th c.: orig. unkn.: perh. rel. to YAWL