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
Cicadas thrummed gaily, fields shimmered with bird and insect life.
—
Joyce Carol Oates, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for gaily
Joyce Carol Oates, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for gaily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaily
Adverb
-
Tim was a fiercely, cheerfully competitive kid—whether playing board games with his two older sisters or every sport under the sun with his big brothers.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Today, Lamont operates cheerfully as the dominant figure in state politics and government.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The neighborhoods of Alfama and Bairro Alto stay lively late into the night with fado music, good wine, and shared plates.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Dec. 2025
-
His disdain for Christmas is no match for visits from enchanting ghosts, a lively ensemble of characters, and the music of the season.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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In the brightly billboarded carcass of a West Coast city, private security shields the corporate enclaves of a tech élite from the shantytowns of the economically superfluous.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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This could be anything from a sticker or patch to a ribbon—or something that does double duty, such as these brightly colored neoprene handle wraps.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
But add some roasted chicken and top it with a creamy cheese sauce and the result is a rich and cozy casserole that even the pickiest child will happily eat.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Farmer Wants a Wife is back for a fourth season, with a new crop of handsome homesteaders who are hoping to finally harvest their happily ever after.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
When snowflakes began to fall, some stuck their tongues out and laughed, playfully nudging one another.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Addressing people in the crowd from the stage, Chalamet playfully called out the Paris venue for charging attendees overpriced tickets to attend the premiere of the A24 movie.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Elegantly lensed and colorfully designed, this film noir time capsule has shades of both Chinatown and In the Mood for Love, setting an impossible romance against the corrupt backdrop of Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship circa 1979.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
With their imposing bulk, elegant curves, colorfully painted sterns, and ornate decorations, the vessels were among the most distinctive and beautiful ships on the seas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 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 16 Feb. 2026.
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