gay

1 having much high-spirited energy and movement couples dancing a gay, fast-paced jig Synonyms active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, lively, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy (or pizazzy), racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippyRelated Words dapper, dashing, spiffy; agog, alert, awake, open-eyed, up, wide-awake; agile, nimble, spry; bright, buoyant, cheerful, chipper, chirpy, chirrupy, effervescent, sparkly, upbeat; eager, enthusiastic, keen; frolicsome, impish, pixieish, playful; boisterous, bubbly, ebullient, exuberant, high-spirited; high-strung, nervous, skittishNear Antonyms indolent, lazy, unambitious; inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid, weary; apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, stolid; boring, dull, irksome, tediousAntonyms dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid

2 having or showing freedom from worries or trouble a gay, thoughtless girl who didn't care whether her work was done or not Synonyms blithe, debonair, devil-may-care, carefree, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, lightsome, slaphappy, unconcernedRelated Words blasé (also blase), breezy, cavalier, nonchalant; casual, easygoing, informal, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, unfussyNear Antonyms earnest, grave, serious, serious-minded, somber (or sombre); careful, cautious, heedful, wary; anxious, concerned, upset, worried; long-suffering, overburdened, sorrowfulAntonyms careworn

3 indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor had a gay old time at the party Synonyms blithesome, festive, merry, gleeful, jocose, jocular, jocund, jolly, jovial, laughing, mirthful, sunnyRelated Words amused, beaming, chuckling, giggling, smiling; bright, buoyant, carefree, cheerful, cheery, chipper, lighthearted, lightsome, upbeat; animated, bouncing, frisky, jaunty, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, vivacious, zippy; blessed (also blest), blissful, delighted, ecstatic, elated, enraptured, entranced, euphoric, exhilarated, exuberant, exultant, gladsome, happy, high, joyful, joyous, jubilant, overjoyed, radiant, rapturous, ravished, thrilled, tickled; amusing, facetious, flippant, frolicsome, funny, hilarious, jesting, joking, joshing, playful, sportive, witty; cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, unconcerned; hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine; antic, comic, comical, farcical, humorous, riotous, sidesplitting, uproariousNear Antonyms abject, aggrieved, anguished, blue, brokenhearted, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, forlorn, glum, heartbroken, heartsick, heavyhearted, low-spirited, melancholy, sad, saddened, sorrowful, unhappy; crying, groaning, moaning, sobbing, wailing, weeping; discontented, disgruntled, moody; doleful, dolorous, joyless, lachrymose, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, sorry, woeful; black, bleak, cheerless, comfortless, dark, depressing, desolate, dismal, dreary, gloomy, glum, gray (also grey), morose, saturnine, somber (or sombre), sullen; miserable, woebegone, wretched; dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid

4 having or showing a good mood or disposition with a gay toss of his coat over his shoulder, the dapper old gentleman set off for the party Synonyms blithe, blithesome, bright, buoyant, canty [British dialect], cheery, chipper, eupeptic, cheerful, gladsome, lightsome, sunny, upbeat, winsomeRelated Words hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine; animated, chirpy, jaunty, lilting, lively, perky, sprightful, sprightly, vivacious; carefree, careless, cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, unconcerned; boon, gleeful, jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful; blissful, delighted, glad, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, tickled; beaming, grinning, laughing, smilingNear Antonyms joyless, sad, unhappy, unsatisfied; dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid; blue, brokenhearted, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, down, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, hangdog, heavyhearted, inconsolable, low, low-spirited, melancholy, mirthless, sorrowfulAntonyms dour, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, sullen

5 serving to lift one's spirits the skylark's gay song lifted me out of my gloom Synonyms bright, cheering, cheery, cheerful, gladRelated Words gladdening, heartening, heartwarming; gleaming, radiant, sparklingNear Antonyms discouraging, disheartening; colorless, drab, dull, lackluster, lusterless; black, desolate, dispiritingAntonyms bleak, cheerless, dark, depressing, dismal, dreary, gloomy, gray (also grey)

6 joyously unrestrained it was the era of the flappers, and young women were gay, bold, and defiant of convention Synonyms bouncy, bubbly, buoyant, crank [chiefly dialect], effervescent, frolic, frolicsome, gamesome, exuberant, high-spirited, vivaciousRelated Words extroverted (also extraverted), outgoing, uninhibited; carefree, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, joyful, lighthearted, lively, sprightly; boisterous, raucous, rollicking, rowdy; giddy, light-headed, overexuberant, silly; ecstatic, euphoric, lyric, rapturous; audacious, bold, brash, brazen, impertinent, impudent, insolent, saucyNear Antonyms constrained, inhibited, repressed, restrained, subdued; impassive, phlegmatic, stoic (or stoical), stolid; depressed, dour, glum, morose, surlyAntonyms low-spirited, sullen