gaily

adverb

gai·ly | \ ˈgā-lē

How to pronounce gaily (audio)

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variants: or less commonly gayly

Definition of gaily

: in a gay manner : marked by gaiety

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about gaily

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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 Margaret’s long white hair flapping gaily in the wind. — Hugh Raffles, The New York Review of Books, "The Stones of Lewis, Portals in Time," 9 Oct. 2020 The walls were gaily papered with Sunday supplements of the Mobile Register. — Kate Bolick, The New York Review of Books, "What the Sofa Said," 3 Aug. 2020 Across the gaping canyon, our gaily colored tent was clearly visible and appeared to be waving at us. — John Phillips, Car and Driver, "Tested: 1995 Land Rover Defender 90 Goes Nowhere, Man," 24 Mar. 2020 The boys all left for their virtual Italy, gaily waving their virtual berets and baguettes, and who was left behind to mow the lawn? — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Draymond Green missed out on the Warriors’ virtual Italian vaca," 8 Mar. 2020 Subsequent investigations transform her into a rather more Nora Ephron-ish figure; few New Yorkers are more gaily, affirmatively opinionated. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "Scenes from the Life of Roz Chast," 23 Dec. 2019 The child races into the darkened room, past gleaming trays of dainty cookies and cups of punch, straight to the foot of a 15-foot pine, gaily covered in a thick blanket of white lights. — Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus, chicagotribune.com, "This holiday season, don’t just watch ‘The Nutcracker.’ Be part of the story in Oshkosh, Wis.," 18 Nov. 2019 To dress cheerfully and becomingly is considered as an attempt to affect youth; to converse gaily an unsuitable effort to attract admirers. — Lisa Birnbach, Washington Post, "In praise of the older women who shaped American history," 18 Oct. 2019 The ceilings are bolstered by beams of palm and eucalyptus, or geometrically coffered with wood strips in a traditional south Moroccan technique called tataoui or in one room gaily painted in the colorful Berber style. — Joshua Levine, WSJ, "A Moroccan Retreat With a French Minimalist Spin," 13 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gaily.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Gaily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaily. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for gaily

gaily

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of gaily

old-fashioned

: in a happy and lively way

: in a bright and colorful way

See the full definition for gaily in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gaily

adverb

gai·ly | \ ˈgā-lē \

Kids Definition of gaily

1 : in a merry or lively way Children were playing gaily.

2 : in a bright or showy way The performers were gaily dressed.

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