mer ‧ ry /ˈmeri/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: myrge , merge ]
1 . Merry Christmas! used to say that you hope someone will have a happy time at Christmas SYN Happy Christmas
2 . literary happy SYN cheerful , jolly :
He marched off, whistling a merry tune.
He’s a lovely man with merry eyes and a wide smile.
3 . the more the merrier spoken used to say that you are happy for other people to join you in what you are doing:
‘Do you mind if I bring Tony?’ ‘No, of course not. The more the merrier.’
4 . [not before noun] British English informal slightly drunk SYN tipsy
5 . make merry old-fashioned to enjoy yourself by drinking, singing, laughing etc:
Christmas is a time to eat, drink and make merry.
6 . old use pleasant:
the merry month of June
—merriness noun [uncountable]
⇨ play (merry) hell with something at ↑ hell 1 (25), ⇨ lead somebody a merry old dance at ↑ lead 1 (19)
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THESAURUS
▪ drunk [not usually before noun] having drunk too much alcohol so that your behaviour and mental processes are affected:
Gary was too drunk to remember what had happened that night.
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I just hope they don’t get drunk and start fighting.
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drunk driving
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The police are going to crack down on drunk drivers.
▪ tipsy/merry [not before noun] slightly drunk:
After the second glass of wine I was feeling a little tipsy.
▪ pissed [not usually before noun] British English informal drunk – this word is very common in spoken British English, but it is not polite:
Don’t listen to him – he’s pissed.
▪ intoxicated [not before noun] formal drunk:
He was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
▪ paralytic/legless [not before noun] British English informal extremely drunk:
Don’t give Dave any more to drink -- he’s already legless.
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They became totally paralytic and abusive.
▪ drunken [only before noun] especially written used to describe someone who is drunk or their behaviour. Drunken is mainly used in written English and is always used before a noun. Don’t say ‘he is drunken’. Say he is drunk :
A drunken man was found lying outside a shop door.
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We found him lying by the roadside in a drunken stupor (=almost unconscious as a result of being drunk) .