merrier

adjvery happy; festive

Synonyms for merrier

adj very happy; festive

Antonyms for merrier

Word Origin & History

Old English myrge "pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, sweet; pleasantly, melodiously," from Proto-Germanic *murgijaz, which probably originally meant "short-lasting," (cf. Old High German murg "short," Gothic gamaurgjan "to shorten"), from PIE *mreghu- "short" (see brief (adj.)). The only exact cognate for meaning outside English was Middle Dutch mergelijc "joyful."

Connection to "pleasure" is likely via notion of "making time fly, that which makes the time seem to pass quickly" (cf. German Kurzweil "pastime," literally "a short time;" Old Norse skemta "to amuse, entertain, amuse oneself," from skamt, neuter of skammr "short"). There also was a verbal form in Old English, myrgan "be merry, rejoice." For vowel evolution, see bury (v.).

The word had much wider senses in Middle English, e.g. "pleasant-sounding" (of animal voices), "fine" (of weather), "handsome" (of dress), "pleasant-tasting" (of herbs). Merry-bout "an incident of sexual intercourse" was low slang from 1780. Merry-begot "illegitimate" (adj.), "bastard" (n.) is from 1785. Merrie England (now frequently satirical or ironic) is 14c. meri ingland, originally in a broader sense of "bountiful, prosperous." Merry Monday was a 16c. term for "the Monday before Shrove Tuesday" (Mardi Gras).

Example Sentences formerrier

Yet all the while, Taffy seemed happier and the women the merrier.

Toby was quite a new visitor, and, well––the more the merrier.

A merrier set of gentlemen not even my experience had ever beheld.

Three happier, merrier girls could not have been found the world over.

"The merrier the heart the longer the life," says Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy.

Merrier got to his feet and smilingly filled the glasses all round.

After a long pause he turned to Merrier and asked him how he had fared in the attack.

So tie on your sun-bonnet, and come with me,—the more the merrier.

There never was a merrier party of four than theirs that night.

We can accommodate you very well, and the more the merrier, you know.