jolly
gb/d͡ʒˈɑli/ us/d͡ʒˈɑli/
B1
English
~ 4900
vidám, jókedvű, nagyon, rohadtul, baromi, háromszorosan, rendkívül, rettenetesen, viccelődik, jókedvre derít, ugrat
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is jolly
She was in a jolly mood after hearing the good news.
Vidám hangulatban volt, miután meghallotta a jó hírt.
The host greeted every guest with a jolly smile.
A házigazda minden vendéget vidám mosollyal köszöntött.
It was a jolly gathering full of laughter.
He has such a jolly personality that everyone likes him.
The children were jolly as they opened their presents.
Learner examples
She is jolly today.
Ma jókedvű.
He has a jolly face.
Vidám arca van.
The party was jolly.
I feel jolly this morning.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'jolly' with 'joyful'; 'jolly' is more informal and often describes someone's manner or atmosphere rather than deep happiness.
Meaning
Happy and full of cheer
Collocations
jolly mood
|jolly smile
|jolly atmosphere
|jolly laugh
Synonyms
cheerful (A slightly more neutral term without the quaint or playful tone of 'jolly'.)
Antonyms
gloomy (Describes a sad or depressing mood, opposite of cheerful.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happy and in a good mood.
Feeling or showing happiness and good humor.
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
jolly [adjective/adverb]
That was a jolly good meal!
Nagyon finom volt az étel!
You’re jolly lucky to have such friends.
Nagyon szerencsés vagy, hogy ilyen barátaid vannak.
It’s jolly well time we left.
Learner examples
It is jolly cold today.
Ma nagyon hideg van.
This cake is jolly sweet.
Ez a sütemény nagyon édes.
He is jolly fast at running.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this in formal writing; it is best for casual contexts.
Meaning
Very; extremely (informal)
Collocations
jolly good
|jolly nice
|jolly well
Synonyms
very (A neutral intensifier without the playful tone of 'jolly'.)
Antonyms
slightly (Expresses a small degree, opposite of strong emphasis.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An informal word meaning 'very'.
Used informally to emphasize an adjective or another adverb.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to jolly [someone] along
She tried to jolly him along after his disappointment.
A csalódása után tréfálkozva próbálta felvidítani.
They spent the evening jollying each other with jokes.
Az estét azzal töltötték, hogy viccekkel ugratták egymást.
He was always able to jolly her out of a bad mood.
Learner examples
She tried to jolly me when I was sad.
Viccekkel próbált felvidítani, amikor szomorú voltam.
He can jolly his friends easily.
Könnyen jókedvre tudja deríteni a barátait.
They like to jolly each other in class.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'jolly' as a verb means 'to celebrate'; it actually means to cheer up or tease pleasantly.
Meaning
To tease in a friendly way
Collocations
jolly along
|jollying someone
Synonyms
tease (More general; can be unfriendly, while 'jolly' is always good-natured.)
Antonyms
discourage (To make someone lose confidence or enthusiasm.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|relationships
Definition
To make someone happy or laugh by talking in a friendly way.
To encourage, cheer up, or gently tease someone in a good-humored way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
jolly
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈɑli/
US/d͡ʒˈɑli/
Syllables & stress
jolly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (jolly)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: jolly
- Comparative: jollier
- Superlative: jolliest
Word family
Forms
jollier
adjective
jolliest
adjective
Core family
jolliness
noun
Related words
jollily
adverb
Advanced or less common
jollity
noun
Expressions
get one's jollies
1/ɡˈɛt wˈʌnz d͡ʒˈɑliz/
idiom
informal
Get enjoyment from something unusual or questionable
To have fun or feel pleasure from something, often strange or not nice.
Examples
- He gets his jollies from scaring people.
- Some people get their jollies by playing pranks.
jolly good
1/d͡ʒˈɑli ɡˈʊd/
fixed phrase
informal
Very good; excellent (informal)
An informal way to say something is very good.
Examples
- That was a jolly good performance by the team.
- You’ve done a jolly good job on this project.
jolly well
1/d͡ʒˈɑli wˈɛl/
fixed phrase
informal
Certainly; without doubt (emphatic)
Used to show strong certainty or insistence in an informal way.
Examples
- You should jolly well apologize for that!
- I will jolly well do as I please.