gay
Other forms: gays; gayest; gayer
Gay is a word with many meanings. A gay person is homosexual, but if we describe something like a scene or a party as gay, that means it's bright, merry, and happy.
Gay originally meant excited, festive and merry. Skipping down the street is something you'd do in a gay mood. A fun dinner party could be described as full of laughter and gaiety. Gay really only came to mean homosexual in the last century. The fight for gay rights doesn’t mean a fight for the right to be festive, it means a fight against discrimination.
Definitions of gay
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someone who practices homosexuality; having a sexual attraction to persons of the same sex
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synonyms:
gay woman, homosexual
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homosexual or arousing homosexual desires
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Synonyms:
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homosexual, queer
sexually attracted to members of your own sex
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homosexual, queer
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given to social pleasures often including dissipation“led a gay Bohemian life”
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Synonyms:
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indulgent
characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone
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indulgent
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bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
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offering fun and gaiety
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full of or showing high-spirited merriment
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brightly colored and showy
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homosexual or arousing homosexual desires
Pronunciation
US
/geɪ/
UK
/geɪ/
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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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