merry, blithe, jocund, jovial, jolly mean showing high spirits or lightheartedness. merry suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.

MERRY definition: full of cheerfulness or gaiety; joyous in disposition or spirit. See examples of merry used in a sentence.

merry - First meant "peaceful" or "pleasant," which is what it first meant in "Merry Christmas." See also related terms for pleasant. Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Add to word list old-fashioned happy or showing enjoyment: the merry sound of laughter

If you describe someone's character or behaviour as merry, you mean that they are happy and cheerful.

There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective merry, 11 of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Definition of merry adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

joyous in disposition or spirit: a merry little man. hilarious: a merry time at the party. delightful. Idioms to be happy or festive: The New Year's revelers were making merry in the ballroom. …

Feb 3, 2025 · Merry A surname transferred from the nickname. Originally a nickname for a merry person. A female given name from merry. A diminutive of the female given name Mercy. …

Sep 15, 2025 · Happy Birthday, Happy Easter, Happy Hanukkah ... Merry Christmas? Why do we say "merry" for Christmas" Read on to find out!