merry

See also Merry

English

Pronunciation

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• Rhymes: -ɛri

Etymology

Old English miriġe (“pleasant”).

Adjective

merry (comparative merrier, superlative merriest)

1. Jolly and full of high-spirits

   We had a very merry Christmas.

2. Festive and full of fun and laughter
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     f I have the chance, I will make our worshipful Sheriff pay right well for that which he hath done to me. Maybe I may bring him some time into Sherwood Forest and have him to a right merry feast with us.

   Everyone was merry at the party.

3. Brisk

   The play moved along at a merry pace.

4. happy or showing enjoyment

Alternative forms

• mery

Synonyms

• happy
• gay
• content
• joyful
• cheerful
• pleased
• exultant
• ecstatic
• jovial

Antonyms

• miserable
• unhappy

Translations

Jolly and full of high-spirits

Arabic: مرح (ar) (máriḥ), فرح (ar) (fáriḥ) Chinese: Mandarin: 愉快 (zh) (yúkuài) Czech: veselý (cs) Dutch: vrolijk (nl) Finnish: hauska (fi) French: joyeux (fr) German: fröhlich (de) Hungarian: vidám (hu) Ido: joyoza (io) Irish: shona (ga)

Italian: allegro (it) Japanese: 陽気 (ja) (ようき, yōki) Korean: 즐거운 (ko) (jeulgeoun) Persian: شادکام (fa) (shadkam) Portuguese: alegre (pt) Russian: весёлый (ru) (vesjólyj), радостный (ru) (rádostnyj) Spanish: alegre (es) Swedish: munter (sv) Vietnamese: vui (vi) West Frisian: merie

Festive and full of fun and laughter

Finnish: hauska (fi)

Portuguese: festivo (pt)

Brisk

Derived terms

• merrier
• merrily
• merriment