gaiety

noun

ˈgā-ə-tē How to pronounce gaiety (audio)
variants also gayety
Definition of gaietynext
1
as in attire
dressy clothing attendees of the masquerade ball arrived dressed in all their gaiety

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in festivity
joyful or festive activity loved the gaiety of the annual harvest festival the gaiety of the wedding reception

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheerfulness
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter the gaiety of children enjoying an outing at an amusement park

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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 gaiety The service itself is fleet on its feet, which lends to the gaiety of simply being in this space, with a noise level not to high (except for a wholly out of place intrusion of thumping music Boulud would never have in France). — John Mariani, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026 Later, for nearly 60 years, the lights were out and the gaiety muted in this once-vibrant community. — Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026 For Godard, humor is performative, not just a way of getting a laugh but of getting a rise—or of setting the clock back and imposing a boyish gaiety on the stern responsibilities of adults. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2025 The opening Allegro vacillates between punchy jabs and fluttery gaiety. — Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gaiety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaiety
  1. attire
  2. festivity
  3. cheerfulness
  4. finery
  5. celebration
  6. glee
  7. costume
  8. jollity
Noun
  • Before the main event kicked off, however, the glitzy Academy Gala red carpet saw all of these A-listers bring out their finest evening attire for the night.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Kendall Jenner and Hunter Schafer, in Valentino and Prada, respectively, wore two of the evening’s most compelling arguments for black and white evening attire.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of attire
Noun
  • Those festivities have passed, of course, but Garcia is still excited to be in the neighborhood.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There was, however, some confusion about when the festivities were supposed to begin.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of festivity
Noun
  • Leaders, in particular, have the power to shift the mood of their teams, not by pretending everything is fine or manufacturing cheerfulness but through tone, body language, and small actions.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The service Professionalism comes with genuine warmth, cheerfulness, and a sense of people absolutely loving their jobs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheerfulness
Noun
  • Obviously the bride and bridesmaids will wear wedding finery.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Over the course of several hours, a kaleidoscopic array of appetizers, mains and desserts were paraded out for the hundreds of guests wearing their Sunday finery.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of finery
Noun
  • The numbers have grown as well, ballooning to around 5,000 during the height of the semiquincentennial celebration.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The farm's latest maze pays tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton, combining a fall favorite with a celebration of the singer's music and philanthropy.
    — Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebration
Noun
  • Detractors attacked the moment with glee, but that viewpoint ends up being shortsighted.
    — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The prospect of a flagship GOP state turning blue doesn't just fill Democrats with glee and Republicans with alarm.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glee
Noun
  • There’s also a collection of original costumes, weapons, props and production artifacts from across Villeneuve’s trilogy, including a full-scale ornithopter used in the films.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The evening, co-hosted by Vanity Fair, marked a continuation in the film’s already lengthy journey, with a suitably ambitious exhibition pulling back the curtain on costumes, puppets, props and diminutive sets.
    — Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of costume
Noun
  • But the rollicking jollity that accompanies the final two acts, which includes the entrance of pirates and the abduction of Marina to a brothel, robs the ending of some of its pathos.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The finale is an ambiguous mix of jollity and agitation, with a piccolo shrieking above a militant march.
    — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of jollity

Browse Nearby Words

gagsters
gaiety
gaily
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Cite this Entry

“Gaiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaiety. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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