as in lively
having much high-spirited energy and movement
oozing charm, the jaunty dance instructor literally swept the women off their feet
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jaunty
After a blast of discordantly jaunty music, the film opens with Sandy’s voice dictating a letter to his estranged brother Donal (Cumming), encouraging him to return to his homeland.
—
Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
There are thick gold curtains, a plush white sofa, a potted palm and ivy (both fake), and a pair of wicker chairs, topped with jaunty illustrations of fictional lovers Jack and Rose.
—Laura Bannister, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025
The tilted pinnacle resembles a jaunty ship cutting through clear air.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
This is a son’s jaunty fantasy of the afterlife.
—Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jaunty
Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
There are thick gold curtains, a plush white sofa, a potted palm and ivy (both fake), and a pair of wicker chairs, topped with jaunty illustrations of fictional lovers Jack and Rose.
—Laura Bannister, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025
The tilted pinnacle resembles a jaunty ship cutting through clear air.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
This is a son’s jaunty fantasy of the afterlife.
—Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jaunty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jaunty
Adjective
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Foot traffic at restaurants, shops and mosques sharply declined, turning once-lively economic and social hubs into ghost towns, and threatening to cripple the livelihood of an entire community.—
Yahya Salem,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The lively City Hall gala was Boston’s third official celebration since the city formally recognized the day as a holiday in 2023, and attendees marked the occasion with a range of artistic showcases and performances.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Once released, the two men made animated films for the British war effort (so much for being enemies, or aliens), and then, in 1944, Hoellering took charge of the Academy, a cinema on London’s Oxford Street.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
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During the trial, many of Cardi's impassioned exchanges with the Janfaza went viral due to her unfiltered, expletive-laced responses and animated expressions, including eye rolls and shrugs.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When the energetic Sun clashes with unpredictable Uranus, plans are likely to wobble, pushing us to adapt expectations and stretch comfort zones.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Good side gigs for these energetic individuals?—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Morning habits like brisk walking, jogging, strength training, or short high-intensity workouts have all been linked to lower blood pressure.—
Alexandria Nyembwe,
Health,
20 Feb. 2026
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Many aspects of Elvis’ story are touched on glancingly or not at all in the film’s brisk 90-minute runtime.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The same traits—sloppy reasoning but a desire for collective punishment—animate other immigration-policy announcements.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
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Those same questions animate America’s healthcare system, where nurses, disproportionately women and people of color, shoulder the emotional and physical burden of institutions under stress.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The numbers represent subs launched but not necessarily completed and added to the active-duty fleet, where the US still maintains a large advantage.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Barnes is the third active coach and the ninth all time to win 250-plus games at two schools after going 402-180 at Texas.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The track, which also prominently features Anuel AA and Ñengo Flow, is filled with racy and at times ludicrous double entendres which create an intoxicating romp, driven in turn by a bouncing and infectious rhythm.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
22 Nov. 2022
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But all of that is inflected through another sensibility, one that was emerging, or reëmerging, in the mid-nineties: an almost folky softness; bouncing, hummable melodies; raw beauty for its own sake.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
The New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Jaunty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jaunty. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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