Synonyms for merry
| Grammar : Adj |
| Spell : mer-ee |
| Phonetic Transcription : ˈmɛr i |
Top 10 synonyms for merry Other synonyms for the word merry
- blithe
- blithesome
- boisterous
- boon
- carefree
- comic
- convivial
- entertaining
- facetious
- frolicsome
- funny
- gay
- gleeful
- grooving
- humorous
- jocund
- jumping
- larking
- lighthearted
- lively
- mad
- mirthful
- perky
- pleasant
- riotous
- rip-roaring
- rocking
- rollicking
- saturnalian
- sportive
- sunny
- unconstrained
- uproarious
- vivacious
- wild
- winsome
- zappy
- zingy
- zippy
Définition of merry
Origin :- Old English myrge "pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, sweet; pleasantly, melodiously," from Proto-Germanic *murgijaz, which probably originally meant "short-lasting," (cf. Old High German murg "short," Gothic gamaurgjan "to shorten"), from PIE *mreghu- "short" (see brief (adj.)). The only exact cognate for meaning outside English was Middle Dutch mergelijc "joyful."
- Connection to "pleasure" is likely via notion of "making time fly, that which makes the time seem to pass quickly" (cf. German Kurzweil "pastime," literally "a short time;" Old Norse skemta "to amuse, entertain, amuse oneself," from skamt, neuter of skammr "short"). There also was a verbal form in Old English, myrgan "be merry, rejoice." For vowel evolution, see bury (v.).
- Bot vchon enle we wolde were fyf, þe mo þe myryer. [c.1300]
- The word had much wider senses in Middle English, e.g. "pleasant-sounding" (of animal voices), "fine" (of weather), "handsome" (of dress), "pleasant-tasting" (of herbs). Merry-bout "an incident of sexual intercourse" was low slang from 1780. Merry-begot "illegitimate" (adj.), "bastard" (n.) is from 1785. Merrie England (now frequently satirical or ironic) is 14c. meri ingland, originally in a broader sense of "bountiful, prosperous." Merry Monday was a 16c. term for "the Monday before Shrove Tuesday" (Mardi Gras).
- adj very happy; festive
- His aunt, the Duchess of Savoy, is a merry dame, and a wise!
- Extract from : « The Armourer's Prentices » by Charlotte M. Yonge
- Now and then, he laughed in a merry way, as if he were bantering her out of something.
- Extract from : « To be Read at Dusk » by Charles Dickens
- Saffy came and went, by no means so merry now that she was more with Corney.
- Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
- Christmas was a merry day to all but the major, who did not like the engagement any better than before.
- Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
- He raised his flagon and drank to him, with a merry flash of his white teeth.
- Extract from : « The White Company » by Arthur Conan Doyle
- Yet, for all my care, things were not merry in the house, and I thought it well to come away.
- Extract from : « The White Company » by Arthur Conan Doyle
- The gentlemen looked at each other, and Max burst out into a merry laugh.
- Extract from : « Rico and Wiseli » by Johanna Spyri
- My home life—if existence in a studio can be so called—was merry.
- Extract from : « The Bacillus of Beauty » by Harriet Stark
- Dreading a rejection, I solicited the interest of the merry damsel.
- Extract from : « The Seven Vagabonds (From "Twice Told Tales") » by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- No longer in the winter-time, but in the merry month of May.
- Extract from : « The Miraculous Pitcher » by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Antonyms for merry
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019