gay
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,635 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 11,129 times across 157,096 chapters — 0.005% of every word in the library.
What it means
adjective
- bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer also: cheery, sunny a cheery helloa gay sunny room
- full of or showing high-spirited merriment also: jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful when hearts were young and gaya poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company
- given to social pleasures often including dissipation led a gay Bohemian lifea gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies
- brightly colored and showy also: brave, braw girls decked out in brave new dressesbrave banners flying
- offering fun and gaiety also: festal, festive, merry a festive (or festal) occasiongay and exciting night life
- homosexual or arousing homosexual desires also: queer, homophile
noun
- someone who is sexually attracted to persons of the same sex also: homosexual, homophile, homo
gay in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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She nodded a gay little good-by and was gone.
Gloria and Treeless Street · Annie Hamilton Donnell · Chapter 1
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The town is gay, the inns are full of cheer.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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John missed the sparkling smile, the gay glance of the eyes.
The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1
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The two vehicles kept near together, their occupants, the children especially, were very gay and lively.
Christmas with Grandma Elsie · Martha Finley · Chapter 1
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The house was full of people; the yard was filled with gay dresses and men gathered to see the parade.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1