Someone who is jolly is lively or merry (Jolly Old Saint Nick, or Santa Claus, comes to mind!). Mirthful, on the other hand, evokes mischievousness rather than the hearty “ho, ho, ho” of jolly. Mirthful, while less common than jolly, may be used to describe one’s mood, smile, or laughter itself, all containing a hint of being entertained by some secret silliness.

When a group is on the larger side, it may be called a bevy. Bevy's earliest use in English was as a collective noun for quail (behold, the bevy of quail!), similar to a covey of partridges. When in reference to people, bevy has historically described groups of women. While you will still encounter these specific uses, the word bevy has resisted being pigeonholed. The term is now widely used in a general sense to emphasize abundance in number, and can be found in reference to just about any type of assemblage or collection.

The surefooted adjective unequivocal describes things that are unambiguous or have only one possible meaning or interpretation: unequivocal proof is proof that cannot be refuted or misinterpreted. Unequivocal also describes things that are absolute or not subject to conditions or exceptions. To have someone’s unequivocal support is to know that they will be there for you no matter what, no strings attached.