gayety

[gey-i-tee]

See more synonyms for gayety on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural gay·e·ties.

gaiety.

gaiety

or gay·e·ty

[gey-i-tee]

noun, plural gai·e·ties.

the state of being joyous, vivacious, or cheerful.
Often gaieties. merrymaking or festivity: the gaieties of the New Year season.
showiness; finery: gaiety of dress.

Origin of gaiety

1625–35; < French gaieté, equivalent to gai gay + -té -ty²

Related formssu·per·gai·e·ty, noun

Synonyms for gaiety

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1. merriment, mirth, glee, jollity, joyousness, liveliness, sportiveness, hilarity, vivacity, cheerfulness, joviality. 3. brilliance, glitter, flashiness, gaudiness.

Antonyms for gaiety

1. sadness.

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

Related Words for gayety

energy, enthusiasm, gusto, life, verve, vigor, zeal, animation, brilliance, brio, dash, fire, sparkle, sprightliness

Examples from the Web for gayety

Historical Examples of gayety

The gayety of a light-hearted maiden is often unmixed with boldness, or crime.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
But he must conceal his chagrin, and assume the smile of gayety.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I
Francis Augustus Cox
Cleopatra called him, with a note of gayety in her voice, to help her off "the elephant."
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
True, Miss Merton; but the country is in the height of its gayety too.
Alice, or The Mysteries, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Suddenly his gayety had evaporated, and he was conscious of his years.
A Spirit in Prison
Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for gayety

gaiety

noun plural -ties

the state or condition of being merry, bright, or lively
festivity; merrymaking

Also (esp US): gayety

xref

See gay

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 gayety

see gaiety.

gaiety

1630s, from French gaieté, from gai "gay" (see gay). In the 1890s, especially with reference to a London theater of that name, and the kind of musical shows and dancing girls found there.