different between merry vs sunny

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??i/
• (General American) enPR: m?r??, IPA^(key): /?m??i/, /?me??i/
• (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
• (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• Rhymes: -??i
• Hyphenation: mer?ry

Etymology 1

From Middle English mery, merie, mirie, myrie, murie, mur?e, from Old English meri?e, miri?e, myri?e, myre?e, myr?e (“pleasing, agreeable; pleasant, sweet, delightful; melodious”), from Proto-Germanic *murguz (“short, slow”), from Proto-Indo-European *mré??us (“short”). Cognate with Scots mery, mirry (“merry”), Middle Dutch mergelijc (“pleasant, agreeable, joyful”), Norwegian dialectal myrjel (“small object, figurine”), Latin brevis (“short, small, narrow, shallow”), Ancient Greek ?????? (brakhús, “short”). Doublet of brief.

Alternative forms

• merie, merrie, mery (obsolete)

Adjective

merry (comparative merrier, superlative merriest)

1. Jolly and full of high spirits; happy.
2. Festive and full of fun and laughter.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     If I have the chance, I will make our worshipful Sheriff pay right well for that which he hath done to me. Maybe I may bring him some time into Sherwood Forest and have him to a right merry feast with us.

3. Brisk

4. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight.
5. (euphemistic) drunk; tipsy

Synonyms

• (jolly): cheerful, content, ecstatic, exultant, gay, happy, jovial, joyful, pleased; see also Thesaurus:happy
• (festive): convivial, gay, jovial
• (brisk): energetic, lively, spirited; see also Thesaurus:active
• (causing laughter): delightful, gladful
• (drunk): lushy, muzzy, squiffy; see also Thesaurus:drunk

Antonyms

• (jolly): miserable, unhappy

Derived terms

• Merry Christmas

Translations

Derived terms

• merrier
• merrily
• merriment
• merriness

Related terms

• mirth

Etymology 2

French merise

Noun

merry (plural merries)

1. An English wild cherry.

Anagrams

• Rymer

English

Etymology

From Middle English sunni, from Old English *sunni?. Cognate with West Frisian sinnich, Low German sünnig, Dutch zonnig, German sonnig. Equivalent to sun +? -y

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?ni/
• Rhymes: -?ni
• Homophone: sonny

Adjective

sunny (comparative sunnier, superlative sunniest)

1. (of weather or a day) Featuring a lot of sunshine.

   Whilst it may be sunny today, the weather forecast is predicting rain.

2. (of a place) Receiving a lot of sunshine.

   the sunny side of a hill

   I would describe Spain as sunny, but it's nothing in comparison to the Sahara.

3. (figuratively, of a person or a person's mood) cheerful

   a sunny disposition

   • c. 1590, William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors Act I scene 1

     My decayed fair / A sunny look of his would soon repair.

   • 1841, Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge

     A gleam of sun shining through the unsashed window, and chequering the dark workshop with a broad patch of light, fell full upon him, as though attracted by his sunny heart.

4. Of or relating to the sun; proceeding from, or resembling the sun; shiny; radiant.

   • sunny beams

Synonyms

• (weather, day): bright; sunshiny
• (place): sunlit
• (person): bright, cheerful

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

sunny (not comparable)

1. (US, regional) sunny side up

Noun

sunny (plural sunnies)

1. A sunfish.