gaily

adverb

gai·​ly ˈgā-lē How to pronounce gaily (audio)
variants or less commonly gayly
: in a gay manner : marked by gaiety

Examples of gaily in a Sentence

we sat around the table, gaily teasing each other and laughing about the good old days children gaily running to the buses on the last day of school
Recent Examples on the Web The sunlight through the café windows moved gaily and bounced. Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for gaily 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gaily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gayly, from gay gay entry 1 + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gaily was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gaily

Cite this Entry

“Gaily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaily. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

gaily

adverb
gai·​ly
variants also gayly
ˈgā-lē
1
: in a merry or lively way
2
: in a bright or showy way
gaily dressed crowds

More from Merriam-Webster on gaily

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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