MERRILY

happily, merrily, mirthfully, gayly, blithely, jubilantly

(adverb) in a joyous manner; “they shouted happily”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adverb

merrily (comparative more merrily, superlative most merrily)

In a cheerful or merry way.

Source: Wiktionary


Mer"ri*ly, adv. Etym: [From Merry.]

Definition: In a merry manner; with mirth; with gayety and laughter; jovially. See Mirth, and Merry. Merrily sing, and sport, and play. Granville.

MERRY

Mer"ry, a. [Compar. Merrier; superl. Merriest.] Etym: [OE. merie, mirie, murie, merry, pleasant, AS. merge, myrige, pleasant; cf. murge, adv.; prob. akin to OHG. murg, short, Goth. gamaúrgjan to shorten; cf. L. murcus a coward, who cuts off his thumb to escape military service; the Anglo-Saxon and English meanings coming from the idea of making the time seem short. Cf. Mirth.]

1. Laughingly gay; overflowing with good humor and good spirits; jovial; inclined to laughter or play ; sportive. They drank, and were merry with him. Gen. xliii. 34. I am never merry when I hear sweet music. Shak.

2. Cheerful; joyous; not sad; happy. Is any merry Jas. v. 13.

3. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight; as, merry jest. "Merry wind and weather." Spenser. Merry dancers. See under Dancer.

– Merry men, followers; retainers. [Obs.] His merie men commanded he To make him bothe game and glee. Chaucer.

– To make merry, to be jovial; to indulge in hilarity; to feast with mirth. Judg. ix. 27.

Syn.

– Cheerful; blithe; lively; sprightly; vivacious; gleeful; joyous; mirthful; jocund; sportive; hilarious.

Mer"ry, n. (Bot.)

Definition: A kind of wild red cherry.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

6 January 2025

PREMATURELY

(adverb) (of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation; “the child was born prematurely”


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Coffee Trivia

The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.

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