definitions

gaily

or gay·ly

[ gey-lee ]
/ ˈgeɪ li /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gaily ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

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

RELATED WORDS

merrily, splendidly, brilliantly, cheerfully, colorfully, gleefully, joyfully, blithely, flashily, glowingly, showily, vivaciously

Nearby words

gaikwar, gail, gaillard, gaillard cut, gaillardia, gaily, gain, gain ground, gainer, gaines, gaines, edmund pendleton

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for gaily

British Dictionary definitions for gaily

gaily

/ (ˈɡeɪlɪ) /

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

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].

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper