First published 1901; not yet revised More entries for "jolly"
jollyadjective & adverb
Factsheet
What does the word jolly mean?
There are 23 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word jolly, nine of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
jolly has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the word jolly?
About 2occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 1.1 |
| 1760 | 1.0 |
| 1770 | 1.4 |
| 1780 | 1.4 |
| 1790 | 1.6 |
| 1800 | 1.4 |
| 1810 | 1.6 |
| 1820 | 1.8 |
| 1830 | 2.0 |
| 1840 | 2.2 |
| 1850 | 2.9 |
| 1860 | 3.5 |
| 1870 | 4.0 |
| 1880 | 4.2 |
| 1890 | 4.5 |
| 1900 | 5.0 |
| 1910 | 5.4 |
| 1920 | 5.3 |
| 1930 | 4.5 |
| 1940 | 3.5 |
| 1950 | 2.6 |
| 1960 | 2.0 |
| 1970 | 1.7 |
| 1980 | 1.4 |
| 1990 | 1.4 |
| 2000 | 1.4 |
| 2010 | 1.6 |
How is the word jolly pronounced?
British English
/ˈdʒɒli/
JOL-ee
U.S. English
/ˈdʒɑli/
JAH-lee
Where does the word jolly come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word jolly is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for jolly is from around 1305, in St. Swithin.
jolly is a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French jolif, joli.
In other dictionaries
Nearby entries
- jollof rice, n.1959–
- jollop, n.¹1705–
- jollop, n.²1920–
- jollop, v.1688
- jolloped, adj.1610–
- jollux, n.a1797
- jolly, n.¹1829–
- jolly, n.²1829–
- Jolly, n.³1882–
- jolly, n.⁴1905–
- jolly, adj. & adv.c1305–
- jolly, v.1610–
- jolly-boat, n.1728–
- jollyhead, n.1596
- jolly hockey sticks, int., adj., & n.1953–
- Jolly Roger, n.1724–
- jolly-tail, n.1892–
- jolly-up, n.1927–
- jolt, n.1599–
- jolt, v.1598–
- jolter, n.¹1611–
Meaning & use
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Etymology
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for jolly, adj. & adv.
jolly, adj. & adv. was first published in 1901; not yet revised
jolly, adj. & adv. was last modified in September 2023
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into jolly, adj. & adv. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of jolly, adj. & adv. were published in:
OED First Edition (1901)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>
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“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>
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