merrily

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English merily, from Old English myriġlīċe; equivalent to merry +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈmɛɹɪli/
  • Hyphenation: mer‧ri‧ly
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adverb

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merrily (comparative more merrily, superlative most merrily)

  1. In a cheerful or merry way.
    • 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw [], Act I:
      So quickly the poore mans ſubſtance is ſpent,
      But merrily with the world it went,
      VVhen men eat berries of the hauthorne tree, []
      And old men knew not vſurie:
      Now tis come to a wofull paſſe, []
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 17:
      Ariell:
      Where the Bee ſucks, there ſuck I,
      In a Cowslips bell, I lie,
      There I cowch when Owles doe crie,
      On the Batts backe I doe flie
        after Sommer merrily.
      Merrily, merrily, ſhall I liue now
      Vnder the bloſſom that hangs on the Bow.
    • 1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 50:
      Then Heidi would sit down and chatter merrily away.

Translations

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