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variants
or less commonly gayly
: in a gay manner : marked by gaiety
Synonyms
Examples of gaily in a Sentence
we sat around the table, gaily teasing each other and laughing about the good old days
children gaily running to the buses on the last day of school
Recent Examples on the Web
The sunlight through the café windows moved gaily and bounced.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Cicadas thrummed gaily, fields shimmered with bird and insect life.
—Joyce Carol Oates, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
The butterflies enter first, quivering gaily atop their sticks.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
Keep us gaily making pins!
—Kim Phillips-Fein, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English gayly, from gay gay entry 1 + -ly -ly entry 2
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of gaily was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near gaily
Cite this Entry
“Gaily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaily. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
gaily
adverb
gai·ly
variants
also gayly
ˈgā-lē
1
: in a merry or lively way
2
: in a bright or showy way
gaily dressed crowds
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