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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gaily
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
To make the gamma ray bells ring out gaily, the player lifts the little lead casings that cover the materials—and can do so in a rhythmic fashion to make a strange kind of song.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for gaily
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
To make the gamma ray bells ring out gaily, the player lifts the little lead casings that cover the materials—and can do so in a rhythmic fashion to make a strange kind of song.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for gaily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaily
Adverb
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Netflix’s Ted Sarandos likewise ripped Cameron, but Sarandos would still cheerfully kill to acquire a single new Cameron film over a hundred Red Notices and Rebel Moons.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
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One lovely sequence sees an outdoor lunch at the lodge turn into an impromptu dance party with a live musician singing some cheerfully inauthentic bossa nova.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Young hunters can also expect pennies, treats and other surprises along the route—enough to keep the afternoon lively.—
Debby Rice,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Close to lively Lower Greenville in the coveted M Streets neighborhood, a five-bedroom modern design awaits at 6215 Llano Ave.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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At least as memorable was a New Year’s Eve show at the Tune Inn in downtown New Haven where the band blazed brightly.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Verde had started brightly, but Charlotte FC’s extra-man onslaught simply overpowered them.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The fever dream of a sequel that’s also a prequel takes everything good about the first movie and turns it up to 100, happily ignoring any dose of realism in favor of silly, colorful, karaoke-ready fun.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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For two decades, Gulf governments played the role of rich aunt — writing checks, asking few questions, and happily letting New York bankers run the show.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Attracted by artificial light, dozens of gentle manta rays playfully brushed against us.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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At one point, Styles’ car crashes beneath a truck and bursts into flames, one of several over-the-top moments that playfully mimic Hollywood action films.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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And the patchwork style of Brij Sadanah’s direction enhances the colorfully over-the-top story, which recasts Wuthering Heights as a sensationalistic revenge drama.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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For a good chunk of this century, however, he has become known mostly for his lush and colorfully vivid covers for Marvel.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 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 11 Mar. 2026.
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