merry

UK: /ˈmɛri/ US: /ˈmɛri/ ,(mer′ē)

Inflections of 'merry' (adj):

merrier

adj comparative

merriest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mer•ry /ˈmɛri/   adj., -ri•er, -ri•est. 

1. full of cheerfulness or joy;
   joyous in spirit:
   He was a merry soul that evening.
2. having much festiveness:
   a merry party.

mer•ri•ly, adv. 

: merrily rejoicing.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mer•ry  (mer′ē), adj., mer•ri•er, mer•ri•est. 

1. full of cheerfulness or gaiety;
   joyous in disposition or spirit:
   a merry little man.
2. laughingly happy;
   mirthful;
   festively joyous;
   hilarious:
   a merry time at the party.
3. [Archaic.] causing happiness;
   pleasant;
   delightful.
4. Idioms make merry:
   • Idioms to be happy or festive:
     The New Year's revelers were making merry in the ballroom.
   • to make fun of;
     ridicule:
     The unthinking children made merry of the boy who had no shoes.

• Middle English meri(e), myrie, murie, Old English myr(i)ge, mer(i)ge pleasant, delightful bef. 900

mer′ri•ly, adv. 
mer′ri•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. happy, blithe, blithesome, frolicsome, cheery, glad. See gay. 
• 2. jolly, jovial, gleeful.

Antonyms

• 1. sad.
• 2. solemn.

Mer•ry  (mer′ē), n. 

1. a female given name.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

merry, merrie / ˈmɛrɪ/ adjective ( -rier, -riest)

1. cheerful; jolly
2. very funny; hilarious
3. slightly drunk
4. make merry ⇒ to revel; be festive
5. play merry hell with ⇒ to disturb greatly; disrupt

Etymology: Old English merige agreeable

ˈmerrily adverb

ˈmerriness noun