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
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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
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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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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaily
Adverb
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With this introduction of a hapless protagonist not entirely managing to live her best life, Brett Haley‘s film cheerfully speaks both the literary and cinematic language of romantic comedy — and won’t seek to subvert or elevate it in the two hours that follow.—
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Unable to roll the map out, its creators cheerfully realize that the country itself can serve as its own map.—
Adverb
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The neighborhoods of Alfama and Bairro Alto stay lively late into the night with fado music, good wine, and shared plates.—
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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.—
Adverb
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Few things are cozier than a brightly striped sweater.—
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Pink and blue are the main colors featured in this year's brightly colored logo; however, since no teams have pink in their jerseys, the main colors to look for are blue, green, and yellow.—
Adverb
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My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents.—
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The pair chatted before Cooper asked DiCaprio to take a photo with him, and DiCaprio happily obliged.—
Adverb
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His parents recalled playfully hitting him with pool noodles during his progressions, a routine that eventually drew in a growing group of neighborhood kids for daily practices.—
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Walt playfully honored Fowler for his work on the Submarine Voyage with a plaque designating him Commander-in-Chief of the Disneyland Navy.—
Adverb
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Abundance comes from simply being yourself — boldly, colorfully, unapologetically.—
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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.—
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.—
Cite this Entry
“Gaily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaily. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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