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 joacutel 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
Useful english dictionary. 2012.