- 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.]
- Cheerful; joyous; not sad; happy."Is any merry? let him sing psalms." [Jas. v. 13.]
- Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight; as, a merry jest."
Merrywind and weather." [Spenser.]synonyms: Cheerful; blithe; lively; sprightly; vivacious; gleeful; joyous; mirthful; jocund; sportive; hilarious.
Etymology: 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