1
2
3
as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor had a gay old time at the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
6

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gay contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gay are animated, lively, sprightly, and vivacious. While all these words mean "keenly alive and spirited," gay stresses complete freedom from care and overflowing spirits.

the gay spirit of Paris in the 1920s

When is it sensible to use animated instead of gay?

The words animated and gay can be used in similar contexts, but animated applies to what is spirited and active.

an animated discussion of current events

When might lively be a better fit than gay?

In some situations, the words lively and gay are roughly equivalent. However, lively suggests briskness, alertness, or energy.

a lively debate on the issues

When would sprightly be a good substitute for gay?

While the synonyms sprightly and gay are close in meaning, sprightly suggests lightness and spirited vigor of manner or wit.

a tuneful, sprightly musical

When is vivacious a more appropriate choice than gay?

The synonyms vivacious and gay are sometimes interchangeable, but vivacious suggests an activeness of gesture and wit, often playful or alluring.

a vivacious party host

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gay
Adjective
  • Riegel agrees, noting that the show doesn’t just settle into the tone of a typical animated series, in Critical Role’s style or otherwise.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Those episodes were made with the company's proprietary AI engine, fine-tuned for animated storytelling.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • No wonder Trump is nonchalant about shutdown.
    Chris Brennan, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Is this the most nonchalant big play of the high school season so far?
    Grace Raynor, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Discovering its contents, day in and day out throughout the course of the merriest month of the year, will give you a taste of Glasshouse Fragrances’ bestselling formulas that please even the pickiest of noses.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Great American Family is making sure that everyone's television screens remain merry and bright this holiday season!
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Born in Tangier to Spanish parents, María Ángeles lives out her widowhood with cheerful self-sufficiency.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Its cheerful, harmonious colors evoke the pleasure and leisure associated with reading from childhood onward.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Andromeda Galaxy can be found less than 10 degrees to the upper left of Mirach — the brightest star in the Andromeda constellation — in the hours following sunset in late September.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • More Ishika Samant/Getty Images This is obviously a very disappointing result as Nabers is one of the bright young superstars in the entire NFL.
    Mark Kern, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Food, like clay and photography, became another language -- shared, joyful, alive.
    Dada Jovanovic, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The goal the family has had with the Gracie’s Corner universe has always been to provide fun and joyful learning experiences for kids.
    Essence, Essence, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Starlink satellites to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which now totals more than 8,500 active units.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • This leads some landlords to cut the prices and open the doors to independent and local type businesses just to keep a plaza active and bustling.
    Kevin Williams, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Many love to have the carefree candor of the vox populi intrude in celebrity circles where prohibitive media training and wellness blather pass for personality.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
  • That could be why his inspiration this season draws, maybe wistfully, from his carefree childhood summers growing up in West London’s Wormwood Scrubs.
    Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gay. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!