Thesaurus
gay
adjective
Synonyms and Antonyms of GAY
1
having much high-spirited energy and movement <couples dancing a gay, fast-paced jig>
Synonyms active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy (or pizazzy), racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy
Related Words dapper, dashing, spiffy; agog, alert, awake, open-eyed, up, wide-awake; agile, nimble, spry; bright, buoyant, cheerful, chipper, chirpy, chirrupy, effervescent, sparkly, upbeat; eager, enthusiastic, keen; frolicsome, impish, pixieish, playful; boisterous, bubbly, ebullient, exuberant, high-spirited; high-strung, nervous, skittish
Near Antonyms indolent, lazy, unambitious; inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid, weary; apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, stolid; boring, dull, irksome, tedious
Antonyms dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid
2
having or showing freedom from worries or trouble <a gay, thoughtless girl who didn't care whether her work was done or not>
Synonyms blithe, debonair, devil-may-care, gay, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, lightsome, slaphappy, unconcerned
Related Words blasé (also blase), breezy, cavalier, nonchalant; casual, easygoing, informal, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, unfussy
Near Antonyms earnest, grave, serious, serious-minded, somber (or sombre); careful, cautious, heedful, wary; anxious, concerned, upset, worried; long-suffering, overburdened, sorrowful
Antonyms careworn
3
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor <had a gay old time at the party>
Synonyms blithesome, festive, gay, gleeful, jocose, jocular, jocund, jolly, jovial, laughing, mirthful, sunny
Related Words amused, beaming, chuckling, giggling, smiling; bright, buoyant, carefree, cheerful, cheery, chipper, lighthearted, lightsome, upbeat; animated, bouncing, frisky, jaunty, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, vivacious, zippy; blessed (also blest), blissful, delighted, ecstatic, elated, enraptured, entranced, euphoric, exhilarated, exuberant, exultant, gladsome, happy, high, joyful, joyous, jubilant, overjoyed, radiant, rapturous, ravished, thrilled, tickled; amusing, facetious, flippant, frolicsome, funny, hilarious, jesting, joking, joshing, playful, sportive, witty; cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, unconcerned; hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine; antic, comic, comical, farcical, humorous, riotous, sidesplitting, uproarious
Near Antonyms abject, aggrieved, anguished, blue, brokenhearted, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, forlorn, glum, heartbroken, heartsick, heavyhearted, low-spirited, melancholy, sad, saddened, sorrowful, unhappy; crying, groaning, moaning, sobbing, wailing, weeping; discontented, disgruntled, moody; doleful, dolorous, joyless, lachrymose, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, sorry, woeful; black, bleak, cheerless, comfortless, dark, depressing, desolate, dismal, dreary, gloomy, glum, gray (also grey), morose, saturnine, somber (or sombre), sullen; miserable, woebegone, wretched; dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid
4
having or showing a good mood or disposition <with a gay toss of his coat over his shoulder, the dapper old gentleman set off for the party>
Synonyms blithe, blithesome, bright, buoyant, canty [British dialect], cheery, chipper, eupeptic, gay, gladsome, lightsome, sunny, upbeat, winsome
Related Words hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine; animated, chirpy, jaunty, lilting, lively, perky, sprightful, sprightly, vivacious; carefree, careless, cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, unconcerned; boon, gleeful, jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful; blissful, delighted, glad, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, tickled; beaming, grinning, laughing, smiling
Near Antonyms joyless, sad, unhappy, unsatisfied; dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid; blue, brokenhearted, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, down, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, hangdog, heavyhearted, inconsolable, low, low-spirited, melancholy, mirthless, sorrowful
5
serving to lift one's spirits <the skylark's gay song lifted me out of my gloom>
Near Antonyms discouraging, disheartening; colorless, drab, dull, lackluster, lusterless; black, desolate, dispiriting
6
joyously unrestrained <it was the era of the flappers, and young women were gay, bold, and defiant of convention>
Synonyms bouncy, bubbly, buoyant, crank [chiefly dialect], effervescent, frolic, frolicsome, gamesome, gay, high-spirited, vivacious
Related Words extroverted (also extraverted), outgoing, uninhibited; carefree, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, joyful, lighthearted, lively, sprightly; boisterous, raucous, rollicking, rowdy; giddy, light-headed, overexuberant, silly; ecstatic, euphoric, lyric, rapturous; audacious, bold, brash, brazen, impertinent, impudent, insolent, saucy
Near Antonyms constrained, inhibited, repressed, restrained, subdued; impassive, phlegmatic, stoic (or stoical), stolid; depressed, dour, glum, morose, surly
Antonyms low-spirited, sullen
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up gay? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).