variants
also gayly
1
as in cheerfully
in a cheerful or happy manner
we sat around the table, gaily teasing each other and laughing about the good old days
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lively
in a quick and spirited manner
children gaily running to the buses on the last day of school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brightly
in a manner that is colorful and tends to arouse gaiety
the Mexican dancers were gaily dressed in lavish, bright costumes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaily
The butterflies enter first, quivering gaily atop their sticks.
—
Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
Keep us gaily making pins!
—Kim Phillips-Fein, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
With the Meyerson gaily festooned for the holiday season, there were lighting effects and some projections.
—Dallas News, 26 Nov. 2022
Peer into their forbidding black hoods and gaily stitched pieces of hot-pink woolen felt inside invite unexpected visual caresses.
—Christopher Knightart Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for gaily
Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
Keep us gaily making pins!
—Kim Phillips-Fein, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
With the Meyerson gaily festooned for the holiday season, there were lighting effects and some projections.
—Dallas News, 26 Nov. 2022
Peer into their forbidding black hoods and gaily stitched pieces of hot-pink woolen felt inside invite unexpected visual caresses.
—Christopher Knightart Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for gaily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaily
Adverb
-
The hostess seemed to accept this quite cheerfully and, in fact, expect the mess.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
No Mob boss, cheerfully decreeing that an inconvenient witness be rubbed out, could be more resolute.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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His disdain for Christmas is no match for visits from enchanting ghosts, a lively ensemble of characters, and the music of the season.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Sep. 2025
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Music comes through with clean highs and enough bass to keep things lively at everyday listening levels.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Amid the sea of handmade signs, American flags waved brightly in the morning sun.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
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At just 51 years old, D’Angelo joined the ranks of many Black luminaries who shined brightly but not long.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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When Barca hosted Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stages in September, Laporta and his counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi happily posed together for the cameras before lunch at the Catalan capital’s swish Via Veneto restaurant.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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This is a deciduous vine that prefers a shady exposure, sips water, and will happily clamber up the branches of a native oak or any other tree.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The basketball star playfully pinched his son’s cheek after the United States team beat Venezuela.—
Alexandra Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Highly creative professionals often approach work playfully.—
Cas Holman,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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One of his former teachers was still there, coaxing students to line up neatly.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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But not everything can fit neatly in an eight-part series, and there’s a reason the case is still being dissected today.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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That was colorfully communicated this week by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon , who said there may be more cockroaches in the industry after the country’s largest bank took sizeable charge-offs in the third quarter for exposure to Tricolor.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
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Shot in a colorfully naturalistic style by Irina Lubtchansky (My Golden Days), the film occasionally switches to what looks like Super 8mm, capturing the action more intimately and playfully.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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The song's interplay between choir and orchestra is buoyantly euphoric, opening a door to bolder, more intentionally progressive and soulful sounds in the country's mainstream.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaily. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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