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
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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Indeed, Calvin is cheerfully lobotomizing a snowman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In Atlanta, my hometown airport, cheerfully marketed as the world’s busiest, had descended into organized chaos.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The voice cast from the first installment keeps the film lively.—
Zaki Hasan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Adverb
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Their container, a rectangular cell, can grow to virtually any length and width — but must allow chloroplasts to pack when lights are dim and hide along its walls when light shines brightly.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
4 May 2026
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Annual With succulent foliage and large, brightly colored blooms, portulaca or moss rose makes a fabulous selection for containers in hot, dry sites.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Adverb
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Now, here is The Iguana driving happily to town to finally bury the frozen pets.—
Corky Carroll,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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Small children happily dash out of the local ice-cream shop, dripping cones in hand.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Adverb
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Doncic playfully slapped Maxi Kleber on the back of the head when Kleber was shooting during a Game 4 timeout.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Penguins darted beneath us, marine iguanas grazed on algae, and sea lions twirled playfully in the water.—
David Morris,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Poltz was colorfully introduced by his longtime musician friend, former San Diego Padres second baseman and third base coach Tim Flannery.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2026
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The characters are colorfully dressed but also comfortably.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Still, while these surfaces are clearly meant to reflect deeper emotional and cultural truths, Coppola’s mining of them is done glancingly, airily.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 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 10 May. 2026.
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