1. Full of or showing high-spirited merriment
   "the jolly crowd at the reunion"; "jolly old Saint Nick";
   - gay, jocund [formal], jovial, merry, mirthful

1. [Brit, NZ, informal] A happy party
   "The office Christmas jolly was a great success"
    
2. A yawl used by a ship's sailors for general work
   "The crew lowered the jolly boat to inspect the hull for damage";
   - jolly boat

1. Be silly or tease one another
   "After we relaxed, we just jollied around";
   - kid [informal], chaff, josh [informal], banter
    
2. Become cheerful
   "Her mood jollied when she heard the good news";
   - cheer, cheer up, buck up [informal]
    
3. Cause (somebody) to feel happier or more cheerful
   "She tried to jolly up the disappointed child when he failed to win the spelling bee"; "The nurse jollied along the nervous patient before the procedure";
   - cheer, cheer up, jolly along [informal], jolly up [informal], buck up [informal]

1. Used as an intensifier
   "she was jolly gifted";
   - very, really, real [N. Amer, informal], rattling [informal], thoroughly, cracking [Brit, informal], dirty [Brit, informal], mucho [informal], rotten [informal], massively [informal], magnificently, splendidly, awesomely [informal], tremendously [informal]

Derived forms: jollier, jollied, jollies, jollying, jolliest

See also: joyous

Type of: bait, cod [Brit, informal], encourage, joy, party, rag, rally, razz [N. Amer, informal], rejoice, ride [N. Amer, informal], taunt, tease, twit [informal], wind up [Brit, informal], yawl

Encyclopedia: Jolly, Sarah