Jolly has 10 different meanings across 5 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Adverb · Proper Noun
a yawl used by a ship's sailors for general work
"The crew launched their jolly to retrieve supplies from the shore while the main vessel remained at anchor."
A pleasure trip or excursion.
"The company boarded the bus for a jolly to the mountains on Saturday morning."
In plain English: A jolly is an old-fashioned word for someone who has been invited to join a group of people having fun together, like at a party or celebration.
"The jolly at the charity event was so successful that they raised enough money to build two new classrooms."
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
"when hearts were young and gay"
"a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company"
"the jolly crowd at the reunion"
"jolly old Saint Nick"
"a jovial old gentleman"
"have a merry Christmas"
"peals of merry laughter"
"a mirthful laugh"
Full of merriment and high spirits; jovial; joyous; merry.
"The jolly crowd laughed heartily as they shared stories around the campfire."
In plain English: Jolly means happy and cheerful, especially when you are having fun with friends.
"The jolly clown made everyone laugh with his funny tricks."
Usage: Use "jolly" to describe a cheerful atmosphere rather than an individual's personality, as the latter can sound dated or informal. Avoid confusing it with "joyful," which is more commonly applied to emotions and internal states of being happy.
to certain extent or degree
"pretty big"
"pretty bad"
"jolly decent of him"
"the shoes are priced reasonably"
"he is fairly clever with computers"
very, extremely
"The jolly amount of money he spent on his vacation shocked everyone at the party."
A female given name
"Jolly was born in January and loves winter holidays."
The word "jolly" comes from the Old French term jolif, which originally meant merry or joyful. It is likely related to the Norse word for a midwinter feast called Yule, suggesting its meaning once carried festive connotations similar to those found in modern Dutch and German words derived from that same root.