gaily

or gay·ly

[gey-lee]

See more synonyms for gaily on Thesaurus.com

adverb

with merriment; merrily; joyfully; cheerfully.
with showiness; showily.

Origin of gaily

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at gay, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for gaily

Contemporary Examples

At a meeting with Netanyahu, Rubio gaily mocked himself by toasting the Israeli leader with one of his famous water bottles.
Marco Rubio Really Loves Israel and Has Pictures to Prove It
Eli Lake
February 21, 2013
On another wall was hung a gaily colored quilt made by Harris.
Scarsdale Doctor Killer Jean Harris Found Redemption in Prison
Michael Daly
December 31, 2012
And at Easter, Americans dunk them in dye and buy pounds of their chocolate likenesses wrapped in gaily colored foil.
Cracking the Code on All Things Egg
Jessica Konopa
September 15, 2009

Historical Examples

"Brighten your lovely features with a smile, Katherine me dear," she said gaily.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
The Chevrotte was gaily singing, and she plunged into it like a startled fawn.
The Dream
Emile Zola
She climbed quickly into the carriage and said gaily: "Go ahead, Sami!"
What Sami Sings with the Birds
Johanna Spyri
"But we were bound to go somewhere, my dear fellow," she gaily answered.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
She had too often asked him (no matter how gaily) what he heard about her, too often begged him not to hear anything.
Alice Adams
Booth Tarkington

British Dictionary definitions for gaily

gaily

adverb

in a lively manner; cheerfully
with bright colours; showily

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gaily

adj.

also gayly, late 14c., from Middle English gai (see gay) + -ly (2). "The spelling gaily is the more common, and is supported by the only existing analogy, that of daily" [OED].

gaily

or gay·ly

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}gaily

Related Words

Examples from the Web for gaily

Contemporary Examples

At a meeting with Netanyahu, Rubio gaily mocked himself by toasting the Israeli leader with one of his famous water bottles.

On another wall was hung a gaily colored quilt made by Harris.

And at Easter, Americans dunk them in dye and buy pounds of their chocolate likenesses wrapped in gaily colored foil.

Historical Examples

"Brighten your lovely features with a smile, Katherine me dear," she said gaily.

The Chevrotte was gaily singing, and she plunged into it like a startled fawn.

She climbed quickly into the carriage and said gaily: "Go ahead, Sami!"

"But we were bound to go somewhere, my dear fellow," she gaily answered.

She had too often asked him (no matter how gaily) what he heard about her, too often begged him not to hear anything.

gaily

Word Origin and History for gaily

adj.

Origin of gaily