merry
/ˈmɛri
/adjective (merrier, merriest)
1Cheerful and lively: the streets were dense with merry throngs of students...
- Showing or characterized by exuberance or mirthful excitement; merry; cheerful; jolly.
- The night was not lonely either, as quite a few regulars danced cheerfully to merry tunes in the moonlight.
- Still, we carry on cheerfully, whistling a merry tune as we stir it all up with a wooden spoon.
Synonyms
cheerful, cheery, in good spirits, high-spirited, blithe, bright, sunny, light-hearted, buoyant, bubbly, lively, carefree, without a care in the world, joyful, joyous, rejoicing, jolly, jocund, convivial, festive, mirthful, gleeful, happy, glad, laughing
informal chirpy
dated gay
archaic frolicsome, sportive, blithesome
1.1(Of an occasion or season) characterized by festivity and enjoyment: he wished me a merry Christmas...
- Chris Birdsall, hospital spokesman, said it is important patients get to celebrate the merry season.
- With the merry season fast approaching people are warned that more than two thirds of the region's young singletons say smoking drastically reduces sexual attractiveness.
- E-card sites flaunt the day tempting the browsers to send wishes across to their pals for a merry season blooming with happiness.
1.2 informal Slightly and good-humouredly drunk: after the third beer he began to feel quite merry...
- Even though I may have been slightly merry I still could not escape the feeling of how weird all this was.
- In the event, the meal was fine and, by the end, I was feeling slightly merry, and my companions were at last sobering up.
- Sitting on a bench with, as I soon discover, two slightly merry female postgraduate students who are, like me, waiting for a train on the Rayners Lane branch.
Synonyms
tipsy, mellow, slightly drunk
British informal tiddly, squiffy
Phrases
go on one's merry way
lead someone a merry dance
make merry
the more the merrier
play merry hell with
Derivatives
merriness
/ noun ...- The walk on the way home was filled with merriness and contentment.
- The merriness of religious celebrations makes them contagious among the pious and not-so-pious - and so should it be with the joy that welcomes the post-fasting holiday, Idul Fitri.
- The laughing merriness of the tune became more brutal, building to an orgasmic climax as Fisendon unleashed his signature jazz/thrash drumming.
Origin
Old English myrige 'pleasing, delightful', of Germanic origin; related to mirth.