Dictionary

merry en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

/ˈmeɹ.i/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
(US) audio Mmmm
mĕrʹē (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈmɛɹ.e/ (Scotland)
/ˈmɛ.ɹi/ (General-American) without the Mary–marry–merry merger
(US) audio nMmmm
/ˈmɛɹ.ɪ/ (Scotland)
/ˈmʌɹ.i/ Philadelphia, merry–Murray merger
/ˈmɛ.ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈmɛ(ə)ɹ.i/ General American, Mary–marry–merry merger

Etymology

From Middle English myrie, merie, mery, from Old English myrġe, myriġe (“pleasing, agreeable; pleasant, sweet, delightful; melodious”), from Proto-West Germanic *murgī (“short, slow, leisurely”), from Proto-Germanic *murguz (“short, slow”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short”). Cognate with Scots mery, mirry (“merry”), Middle Dutch mergelijc (“pleasant, agreeable, joyful”), Norwegian dialectal myrjel (“small object, figurine”), Latin brevis (“short, small, narrow, shallow”), Ancient Greek βραχύς (brakhús, “short”). Doublet of brief.

Meanings

Jolly and full of high spirits; happy.
- We had a very merry Christmas.
- I am neuer merry when I heare ſweet muſique. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
- I felt comforted by the song of the redbreast, and I thought I felt less lonely and deserted as long as I heard the merry notes of the thrush. 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 281:
Festive and full of fun and laughter.
- Everyone was merry at the party.
- If I have the chance, I will make our worshipful Sheriff pay right well for that which he hath done to me. Maybe I may bring him some time into Sherwood Forest and have him to a right merry feast with us. 1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:
Brisk.
- The car moved at a merry clip.
- The play moved along at a merry pace.
Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight.
- a merry jest
- There eke my feeble barke a while may ſtay, / Till mery wynd and weather call her thence away. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 171:
(euphemistic) Drunk; tipsy.
- Some of us got a little merry at the office Christmas party.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
mery		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic
merrie		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic
merriest	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
merrier	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
merie		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic

Translations (103)

de fröhlich (jolly and full of high-spirits) · pt festivo (festive and full of fun and laughter) · de gut gelaunt (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl xetras (jolly and full of high-spirits) · uk весе́лий (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ru весёлый (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl louzán (jolly and full of high-spirits) · io joyala (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl ledo (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tr şen (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl gallamundeiro (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tl maligaya (festive and full of fun and laughter) · fi hauska (jolly and full of high-spirits) · cs veselý (jolly and full of high-spirits) · bg весел (festive and full of fun and laughter) · tl masaya (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tr neşeli (festive and full of fun and laughter) · sh ве̏сео (jolly and full of high-spirits) · enm gameful (festive and full of fun and laughter) · th ครึกครื้น (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fi reipas (brisk) · sh vȅseo (jolly and full of high-spirits) · la festus (festive and full of fun and laughter) · pt alegre (jolly and full of high-spirits) · la festivus (festive and full of fun and laughter) · eo gaja (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl algarufeiro (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tl masigla (festive and full of fun and laughter) · he נמרץ (brisk) · cmn 愉快 (jolly and full of high-spirits) · es jacarandoso (jolly and full of high-spirits) · io joyoza (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tl maligaya (jolly and full of high-spirits) · pl wesoły (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl souril (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ja 陽気な、賑々しい (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ar فَرِح (jolly and full of high-spirits) · la gaudens (jolly and full of high-spirits) · bg весел (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fy merie (jolly and full of high-spirits) · dsb wjasoły (jolly and full of high-spirits) · mk весел (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ar مَرِح (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl gaio (jolly and full of high-spirits) · enm mery (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ru живо́й (brisk) · he עליז (festive and full of fun and laughter) · ru ра́достный (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ota سرخوش (jolly and full of high-spirits) · th รื่นเริง (festive and full of fun and laughter) · grc ἱλαρός (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tr şen (festive and full of fun and laughter) · he שמח (jolly and full of high-spirits) · bg оживен (brisk) · he שמח (festive and full of fun and laughter) · vi vui (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fa تند (brisk) · tl masaya (festive and full of fun and laughter) · tr kutlu (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fi rivakka (brisk) · fi hauska (festive and full of fun and laughter) · tr kutlu (festive and full of fun and laughter) · enm mery (brisk) · enm mery (festive and full of fun and laughter) · cu веселъ (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ga sona (jolly and full of high-spirits) · la laetus (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ko 즐거운 (jolly and full of high-spirits) · hu vidám (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tr mutlu (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tr mutlu (festive and full of fun and laughter) · gl gaioso (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tl masigla (brisk) · gl arrufainado (jolly and full of high-spirits) · th ครึกครื้น (festive and full of fun and laughter) · it allegro (jolly and full of high-spirits) · sk veselý (jolly and full of high-spirits) · pox blåďütnĕ (jolly and full of high-spirits) · be вясё́лы (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fr joyeux (jolly and full of high-spirits) · sv munter (jolly and full of high-spirits) · es alegre (jolly and full of high-spirits) · gl arrufado (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ja 明るい (jolly and full of high-spirits) · la hilaris (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ru энерги́чный (brisk) · ru весёлый (festive and full of fun and laughter) · be ра́ды (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fa شادکام (jolly and full of high-spirits) · de froh (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fa سرمست (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fo kátur (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ro fericit (jolly and full of high-spirits) · nl vrolijk (jolly and full of high-spirits) · th ครื้นเครง (jolly and full of high-spirits) · ru оживлённый (brisk) · gl albendeiro (jolly and full of high-spirits) · tr neşeli (jolly and full of high-spirits) · he ערני (brisk) · hy ուրախ (jolly and full of high-spirits) · es festivo (festive and full of fun and laughter) · sl vesel (jolly and full of high-spirits) · fa شاد (festive and full of fun and laughter)

merry en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

/ˈmeɹ.i/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
(US) audio Mmmm
mĕrʹē (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈmɛɹ.e/ (Scotland)
/ˈmɛ.ɹi/ (General-American) without the Mary–marry–merry merger
(US) audio nMmmm
/ˈmɛɹ.ɪ/ (Scotland)
/ˈmʌɹ.i/ Philadelphia, merry–Murray merger
/ˈmɛ.ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈmɛ(ə)ɹ.i/ General American, Mary–marry–merry merger

Etymology

From French merise.

Meanings

An English wild cherry.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
merries	Number=Plur		lexicographic

cherry-merry-bamboo · cherry-merry

merry en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Deriveds

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Synonyms

Translations (103)

merry en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

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