What does jollify mean?
Jollify means to make someone or something jolly, cheerful, or merry. Its use often has a humorous quality: to jollify an occasion is to enliven it with humour, entertainment, celebration, or an unexpected touch of fun. The verb is especially appropriate for describing efforts to cheer people, animate a dreary setting, or turn a formal gathering into a more spirited one. It can be slightly old-fashioned, and it usually suggests deliberate, conspicuous efforts to create amusement rather than an ordinary feeling of happiness. Although the word is not common in everyday neutral prose, it is useful and vivid in comic writing, captions, and informal descriptions of festive or playful events.
verbTo make someone or something jolly, cheerful, or merry. It is often used humorously for an action or event that enlivens a person, place, or occasion.
- To make someone or something cheerful or merry.
"A few jokes and stories from the host jollified the otherwise formal gathering."
"The magician's unexpected tricks jollified the children at the party."
"They added bright colours and lively music to jollify the community hall."
Jollify turns the suffix -ify into a cheerful command: make something jolly, or at least make a good show of trying.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jollify come from?
Jollify was formed in the 19th century from jolly, meaning cheerful or merry, and the suffix -ify, meaning to make or become. Jolly itself entered Middle English from Old French and is related to other Romance and Latin words associated with cheerfulness, including jocund, jovial, and joyous. The combination follows the productive English pattern of -ify: cheer became to cheer, and jolly became to jollify.
Related word forms
How jollify is actually used
This is a playful and occasionally old-fashioned verb. It is more natural in humorous, informal, or literary contexts than in neutral or highly technical writing.