jolly

Etymology

From Middle English joli, jolif (“merry, cheerful”), from Old French joli, jolif (“merry, joyful”) It is uncertain whether the Old French word is from Old Norse jól ("a midwinter feast, Yule", hence "fest-ive") , in which case, equivalent to yule + -ive, compare Dutch jolig (“happy, festive, frolicsome, jolly”), West Frisian joelich, joalich (“merry, jolly”), Middle High German jœlich (“hooting, jubilant”); or ultimately from Latin gaudeō (see etymology at joy), which fails to explain the presence of l in jolif. For the loss of final -f compare tardy, hasty, hussy, etc.

adj

1. Full of merriment and high spirits; jovial; joyous; merry.
   "A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! / But something ails it now: the spot is curst. ..." 1815, William Wordsworth, Hart-Leap Well, Part Second
   […] he is swelled into jolly dimensions by frequent potations of malt liquors […] 1819, Washington Irving, “The Stage Coach”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
2. (colloquial, dated) Splendid, excellent, pleasant.
3. (informal) drunk

noun

1. (UK, dated, often humorous) A pleasure trip or excursion.
2. (slang, dated) A marine in the English navy.
   I'm a Jolly — 'Er Majesty's Jolly — soldier an' sailor too! 1896, Rudyard Kipling, Soldier an' Sailor Too

adv

1. (Britain, dated) very, extremely
   it’s jolly hot in here, isn’t it?
   Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’ 1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, page 26

verb

1. (transitive) To amuse or divert.