jauntily

[ jawn-tuh-lee, jahn- ]

adverb

1. in an easy and lively manner:

   Just as she was wishing he were there, he suddenly appeared on the stairway and made his way jauntily down it.

2. in a smartly trim manner:

   With the yellow beret perched jauntily on my head, I thought I was a true fashion plate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jauntily¹

jaunty ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

A long, thin filament of cold, dense gas extends jauntily from the galactic center, connecting two of the galaxy’s spiral arms, astronomers report November 11 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

From Science News

Serve with the cap perched jauntily on the edge of the hole so that guests may serve themselves.

From Eater

One moment he is bouncing along swinging his arms jauntily, clearly happy to be there.

From TechCrunch

At 10 sharp, they will lift musical instruments and, if all goes as planned, will play “Washington’s Grand March,” a jaunty old tune that dates to the early days of the country and honors George Washington.

From Washington Post

Combined with the jaunty tune, you’d almost believe the robots are having a good time together if you didn’t know they’re just performing their programmed movements.

From Popular-Science

At one moment, he walks forward jauntily, as though walking onto a dance floor, at another he lifts one leg, then another.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile, New York Magazine ran a jauntily satirical article—“Bro, Can You Spare, Like, Five Bills?”

From The Daily Beast

He holds the Carcano rifle proudly, even jauntily, pointing its barrel toward the sky.

From The Daily Beast

Springer jauntily replies, quickly adding that his tawdry syndicated show is probably a more accurate harbinger of the End Times.

From The Daily Beast

And let's not forget death panels, Sarah Palin's jauntily inflammatory phrase for the "Independent Medicare Advisory Board."

From The Daily Beast

Yet he feared to meet her eyes, and was glad of a saluting sepoy who swaggered jauntily past the open gate.

From Project Gutenberg

BOB (rather jauntily, as he leans back against the end of the sofa and feels for his cigarette-case).

From Project Gutenberg

A handsome French straw hat was set jauntily on one side of her head, and her long curls hung over her white neck and shoulders.

From Project Gutenberg

It might be a boy private with a sprig of early spring wild flowers jauntily stuck in his cap who waved at us.

From Project Gutenberg

Jack's tone was as flippant as ever, and he carried his handsome head as jauntily as if they were talking of the merriest themes.

From Project Gutenberg