From Middle English joli, jolif (“merry, cheerful”), from Old French joli, jolif (“merry, joyful”). For the loss of final -f in English, compare tardy, hasty, hussy, etc.
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”). Alternatively, the Old French adjective has been conjectured to derive from a Vulgar Latin *gaudivus (from Latin gaudeō, more at joy), in which case it would require Early Old French ⟨d⟩ /ð/ to irregularly become ⟨l⟩ in jolif rather than being dropped, which is the usual case (alternatively, /l/ may be a hiatus filler inserted into expected *joïf). A possible parallel of ⟨d⟩ to ⟨l⟩ can be seen in the French name Valois, according to one hypothesis from Latin Vadensis, though this origin is itself uncertain and disputed.
Meanings
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.:
"Full jolly Knight he seemed […] full large of limb and every joint / He was, and cared not for God or man a point." 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, , stanzas xi-xii:
Jo silently notices how white and small her hand is and what a jolly servant she must be to wear such sparkling rings. 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, chapter 16, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
From Middle English joli, jolif (“merry, cheerful”), from Old French joli, jolif (“merry, joyful”). For the loss of final -f in English, compare tardy, hasty, hussy, etc.
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”). Alternatively, the Old French adjective has been conjectured to derive from a Vulgar Latin *gaudivus (from Latin gaudeō, more at joy), in which case it would require Early Old French ⟨d⟩ /ð/ to irregularly become ⟨l⟩ in jolif rather than being dropped, which is the usual case (alternatively, /l/ may be a hiatus filler inserted into expected *joïf). A possible parallel of ⟨d⟩ to ⟨l⟩ can be seen in the French name Valois, according to one hypothesis from Latin Vadensis, though this origin is itself uncertain and disputed.
Meanings
(UK, dated) Very, extremely.
“Put these on,” said Carrot firmly, anticipating resistance. “What is it?” said Catweazle in horror. “Coms. Combinations. A vest and long pants all in one,” explained Carrot. “They're jolly warm.” 1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 127:
He'll think about paint and he'll think about glue / What a jolly boring thing to do 1971, David Bowie, “Andy Warhol”, in Hunky Dory:
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, →ISBN, page 26:
From Middle English joli, jolif (“merry, cheerful”), from Old French joli, jolif (“merry, joyful”). For the loss of final -f in English, compare tardy, hasty, hussy, etc.
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”). Alternatively, the Old French adjective has been conjectured to derive from a Vulgar Latin *gaudivus (from Latin gaudeō, more at joy), in which case it would require Early Old French ⟨d⟩ /ð/ to irregularly become ⟨l⟩ in jolif rather than being dropped, which is the usual case (alternatively, /l/ may be a hiatus filler inserted into expected *joïf). A possible parallel of ⟨d⟩ to ⟨l⟩ can be seen in the French name Valois, according to one hypothesis from Latin Vadensis, though this origin is itself uncertain and disputed.
Meanings
(UK, humorous, often) A pleasure trip or excursion; especially, an expenses-paid or unnecessary one.
If you know what it means to be a “fidlet” going for a “jolly” in your “doo”, then you are part of an exclusive club that speaks colloquial Antarctic English. 2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian:
(archaic, slang) A word of praise, or favorable notice.
'We just need to chuck him a jolly.'
'I beg your pardon?' said Faber.
'Chuck a jolly... you know! Get people on the street talking about how amazing the show is! Tell them the tickets are sold out for the next two weeks.' 2021, Jenni Spangler, The Incredible Talking Machine:
(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of jolly boat.
Indeed it is nearly impossible to conceive how the small jolly they were in could have escaped destruction for a single instant. 1838, [Edgar Allan Poe], The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
From Middle English joli, jolif (“merry, cheerful”), from Old French joli, jolif (“merry, joyful”). For the loss of final -f in English, compare tardy, hasty, hussy, etc.
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”). Alternatively, the Old French adjective has been conjectured to derive from a Vulgar Latin *gaudivus (from Latin gaudeō, more at joy), in which case it would require Early Old French ⟨d⟩ /ð/ to irregularly become ⟨l⟩ in jolif rather than being dropped, which is the usual case (alternatively, /l/ may be a hiatus filler inserted into expected *joïf). A possible parallel of ⟨d⟩ to ⟨l⟩ can be seen in the French name Valois, according to one hypothesis from Latin Vadensis, though this origin is itself uncertain and disputed.
Meanings
(transitive) To amuse or divert.
(archaic, informal, transitive) To praise or talk up.
I do not believe in 'jollying' and 'soft soaping' a man when his work is really bad. 1898, Marketing/Communications, volume 23, page 52:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
jollied
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
jollied
Tense=Past
lexicographic
jollies
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
jollying
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
Deriveds
brown jolly (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jollify (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly D (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly well (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolliness (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jollily (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly boy (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jollity (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly along (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly good show (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly-hockey-sticks (terms derived from all parts of speech) · Jolly Roger (terms derived from all parts of speech) · jolly boat (terms derived from all parts of speech)