variants
also gayly
1
as in cheerfully
in a cheerful or happy manner
we sat around the table, gaily teasing each other and laughing about the good old days
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lively
in a quick and spirited manner
children gaily running to the buses on the last day of school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brightly
in a manner that is colorful and tends to arouse gaiety
the Mexican dancers were gaily dressed in lavish, bright costumes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaily
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
With the Meyerson gaily festooned for the holiday season, there were lighting effects and some projections.
—Dallas News, 26 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for gaily
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
With the Meyerson gaily festooned for the holiday season, there were lighting effects and some projections.
—Dallas News, 26 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for gaily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaily
Adverb
-
With this introduction of a hapless protagonist not entirely managing to live her best life, Brett Haley‘s film cheerfully speaks both the literary and cinematic language of romantic comedy — and won’t seek to subvert or elevate it in the two hours that follow.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Unable to roll the map out, its creators cheerfully realize that the country itself can serve as its own map.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The neighborhoods of Alfama and Bairro Alto stay lively late into the night with fado music, good wine, and shared plates.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Dec. 2025
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His disdain for Christmas is no match for visits from enchanting ghosts, a lively ensemble of characters, and the music of the season.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Honnold was also fitted with a mike, and his intermittent comments remained brightly impersonal.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In addition, the researchers observed that the object shines brightly in X-rays and emits strong radio waves.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Or rather not sang but yelped along happily.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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However the New York State Constitution happily and explicitly forbids such gamesmanship and amending the state Constitution can’t be done before this year’s midterms.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The effortless, off-kilter aesthetic informed Porte’s sartorial vision, playfully juxtaposing his sculptured garments with silhouettes reminiscent of the same era.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Southern California is an ecologically diverse agricultural wonderland which yields a style of progressive cuisine that’s equal parts radical simplicity and playfully inventive, rooted in what are arguably the best farmers markets in the country.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
26 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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With their imposing bulk, elegant curves, colorfully painted sterns, and ornate decorations, the vessels were among the most distinctive and beautiful ships on the seas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Brooks speaks colorfully and candidly, starting with his impoverished Brooklyn childhood, raised with three brothers by his mother after his father died of tuberculosis.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The song's interplay between choir and orchestra is buoyantly euphoric, opening a door to bolder, more intentionally progressive and soulful sounds in the country's mainstream.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaily. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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