as in cheerfully
in a cheerful or happy manner
our coworker merrily announced that it was her birthday, so we felt obligated to treat her to lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of merrily
The Ultra Music Festival merrily rolls along in its 26th year Friday through Sunday at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.
—
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The sick humor of an inappropriately large insect thrashing on the bed gives way to the morbid humor of the new family of three proceeding merrily with their small lives.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
At the time of the landmark rights deal, Levy’s sales team had spent the last two years merrily siphoning off marketing dollars traditionally earmarked for the broadcast giants.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Most of the town’s residents, and many visitors, merrily took part, while the more prudent ones enjoyed the show from the safety of their balconies.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
White’s jaunty editing ensures the proceedings roll merrily along, and yet the richness of detail in every frame makes this feel longer than its lean 71-minute running time, but not at all in a negative way.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
For most of the show, Bad Bunny had been mugging merrily to the camera, flaring his eyes and making hammy gestures to illustrate his words.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Humans certainly aren’t going anywhere, so who’s to say that the mosquitoes won’t just keep feeding merrily on us regardless?
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
Commerce market editor Kate McGregor noted in her review that the tree did give off a fuller look, and was especially handsome once decked out with a merrily maximalist slate of ornaments from some of our favorite holiday hubs.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Dec. 2025
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The sick humor of an inappropriately large insect thrashing on the bed gives way to the morbid humor of the new family of three proceeding merrily with their small lives.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
At the time of the landmark rights deal, Levy’s sales team had spent the last two years merrily siphoning off marketing dollars traditionally earmarked for the broadcast giants.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Most of the town’s residents, and many visitors, merrily took part, while the more prudent ones enjoyed the show from the safety of their balconies.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
White’s jaunty editing ensures the proceedings roll merrily along, and yet the richness of detail in every frame makes this feel longer than its lean 71-minute running time, but not at all in a negative way.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
For most of the show, Bad Bunny had been mugging merrily to the camera, flaring his eyes and making hammy gestures to illustrate his words.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Humans certainly aren’t going anywhere, so who’s to say that the mosquitoes won’t just keep feeding merrily on us regardless?
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
Commerce market editor Kate McGregor noted in her review that the tree did give off a fuller look, and was especially handsome once decked out with a merrily maximalist slate of ornaments from some of our favorite holiday hubs.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merrily
Adverb
-
Indeed, Calvin is cheerfully lobotomizing a snowman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In Atlanta, my hometown airport, cheerfully marketed as the world’s busiest, had descended into organized chaos.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Each time, the friends put down their cans of Miller Lite and happily obliged.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
If any kind of Bo-Sean disconnect deepens, and the Penners don’t pick a side, history will happily do it for them.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
At that moment, the sun began to shine brightly, the wind picked up and the curtain fluttered violently.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
-
But while the hallways look full and the display windows are brightly lit and well-stocked, many people enter and leave empty-handed.—
CNN Staff,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merrily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merrily. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
