gay

• POS: Adjective, Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

gay, a. [F. gai, perhaps fr. OHG. ghi swift, rapid, G. gäh, jäh, steep, hasty; or cf. OHG. whi beatiful, good. Cf. Jay.].

•  Excited with merriment; manifesting sportiveness or delight; inspiring delight; livery; merry.  [1913 Webster]

  "Belinda smiled, and all the world was gay."  [1913 Webster]

  "Gay hope is theirs by fancy fed."  [1913 Webster]
•  Brilliant in colors; splendid; fine; richly dressed.  [1913 Webster]

  "Why is my neighbor's wife so gay?"  [1913 Webster]

  "A bevy of fair women, richly gay
  In gems and wanton dress!"  [1913 Webster]
•  Loose; dissipated; lewd.

Syn. -- Merry; gleeful; blithe; airy; lively; sprightly, sportive; light-hearted; frolicsome; jolly; jovial; joyous; joyful; glad; showy; splendid; vivacious.

gay, n. 

 An ornament  L'Estrange.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gay, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 light-hearted and carefree; mirthful.
2 characterized by cheerfulness or pleasure (a gay life).
3 brightly coloured; showy, brilliant (a gay scarf).
4 colloq. a homosexual. b intended for or used by homosexuals (a gay bar).

Idiom

Gay Liberation the advocacy of homosexuals' freedom from social discrimination.

Usage

Generally informal in use, but favoured by homosexuals with ref. to themselves.
5 colloq. dissolute, immoral.
--n. colloq. a homosexual, esp. male.

Derivative

gayness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF gai, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

gay

AC-DC, abandoned, addled, alert, amphierotic, animate, animated, antic, autoerotic, beaming, beatific, beatified, beery, bemused, besotted, bisexed, bisexual, blessed, blind drunk, blissful, blithe, blithesome, boon, brash, brave, bravura, braw, bright, bright-hued, brilliant, bubbling, bubbly, buoyant, burning, butch, cant, capering, capersome, carefree, cheerful, chichi, chipper, chirping, colorful, colory, coltish, confident, convivial, crapulent, crapulous, dancing, daring, dashing, debauched, debonair, deep-colored, deviant, devil-may-care, dissipated, dissolute, dizzy, drenched, dressy, drunk, drunken, effeminate, effervescent, exhibitionistic, exotic, exuberant, far-gone, fast, festal, festive, flashing, flashy, flaunting, flushed with joy, flustered, forward, fou, free, free and easy, frilly, frisky, frolicsome, frothy, full, full of beans, gala, gallant, gamesome, garish, gaudy, gay-colored, giddy, glad, gladsome, gleeful, glittering, glorious, glowing, gorgeous, hail-fellow-well-met, happy, hearty, high-colored, high-spirited, hilarious, homoerotic, homophile, homosexual, in liquor, inebriate, inebriated, inebrious, intense, intoxicated, inverted, jaunty, jazzy, jocund, jolly, jovial, joyful, joyous, jubilant, keen, laughing, leaping, lesbian, licentious, light-hearted, lighthearted, lively, mannish, many-colored, maudlin, mellow, merry, merrymaking, mirthful, muddled, nappy, on the loose, overweening, perverted, playful, presuming, profligate, purring, pushful, pushy, queer, radiant, raffish, rakehell, rakehellish, rakehelly, rakish, reeling, rich, rich-colored, rollicking, rollicksome, rompish, sapphic, self-assertive, shikker, showy, singing, skittish, smiling, smirking, snazzy, sodden, sotted, sparkling, spirited, splashy, splurgy, sportive, sporty, sprightly, starry-eyed, thrice happy, tiddly, tipsy, transvestite, tribadistic, unbridled, under the influence, vital, vivacious, vivid, wild, zestful, zippy

ROGET THESAURUS

gay

Impurity

N impurity, uncleanness, immodesty, grossness, indelicacy, indecency, impudicity, obscenity, ribaldry, Fescennine, smut, bawdry, double entente, equivoque, concupiscence, lust, carnality, flesh, salacity, pruriency, lechery, lasciviency, lubricity, Sadism, sapphism, incontinence, intrigue, faux pas, amour, amourette, gallantry, debauchery, libertinish, libertinage, fornication, liaison, wenching, venery, dissipation, seduction, defloration, defilement, abuse, violation, rape, incest, prostitution, social evil, harlotry, stupration, whoredom, concubinage, cuckoldom, adultery, advoutry, crim, con, free love, seraglio, harem, brothel, bagnio, stew, bawdyhouse, cat house, lupanar, house of ill fame, bordel, bordello, impure, unclean, not to be mentioned to ears polite, immodest, shameless, indecorous, indelicate, indecent, Fescennine, loose, risque, coarse, gross, broad, free, equivocal, smutty, fulsome, ribald, obscene, bawdy, pornographic, concupiscent, prurient, lickerish, rampant, lustful, carnal, carnal-minded, lewd, lascivious, lecherous, libidinous, erotic, ruttish, salacious, Paphian, voluptuous, goatish, must, musty, unchaste, light, wanton, licentious, debauched, dissolute, of loose character, of easy virtue, frail, gay, riggish, incontinent, meretricious, rakish, gallant, dissipated, no better than she should be, on the town, on the streets, on the pave, on the loose, adulterous, incestuous, bestial.

Ornament

N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.

Ostentation

N ostentation, display, show, flourish, parade, etalage, pomp, array, state, solemnity, dash, splash, splurge, glitter, strut, pomposity, pretense, pretensions, showing off, fuss, magnificence, splendor, coup d'oeil, grand doings, coup de theatre, stage effect, stage trick, claptrap, mise en scene, tour de force, chic, demonstration, flying colors, tomfoolery, flourish of trumpets, pageant, pageantry, spectacle, exhibition, exposition, procession, turn out, set out, grand function, f=ete, gala, field day, review, march past, promenade, insubstantial pageant, dress, court dress, full dress, evening dress, ball dress, fancy dress, tailoring, millinery, man millinery, frippery, foppery, equipage, ceremony, ceremonial, ritual, form, formality, etiquette, puncto, punctilio, punctiliousness, starched stateliness, stateliness, mummery, solemn mockery, mouth honor, attitudinarian, fop, ostentatious, showy, dashing, pretentious, janty, jaunty, grand, pompous, palatial, high-sounding, turgid gairish, garish, gaudy, gaudy as a peacock, gaudy as a butterfly, gaudy as a tulip, flaunting, flashing, flaming, glittering, gay, splendid, magnificent, sumptuous, theatrical, dramatic, spectacular, ceremonial, ritual, solemn, stately, majestic, formal, stiff, ceremonious, punctilious, starched, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, decjed out, all decked out, en granite tenue, in best bib and tucker, in Sunday best, endimanch_e, chic, with flourish of trumpet, with beat of drum, with flying colors, ad captandum vulgus, honores mutant mores.

Man

N man, male, he, him, manhood, gentleman, sir, master, sahib, yeoman, wight, swain, fellow, blade, beau, elf, chap, gaffer, good man, husband, Mr, mister, boy, cock, drake, gander, dog, boar, stag, hart, buck, horse, entire horse, stallion, gibcat, tomcat, he goat, Billy goat, ram, tup, bull, bullock, capon, ox, gelding, steer, stot, androgen, homosexual, gay, queen, male, he-, masculine, manly, virile, unwomanly, unfeminine, Pron, he, him, his, hominem pagina nostra sapit, homo homini aut deus aut lupus, homo vitae commodatus non donatus est.

Sexuality

N sex, sexuality, gender, male, masculinity, maleness, female, femininity, sexual intercourse, copulation, mating, coitus, sex, lovemaking, marital relations, sexual union, sleeping together, carnal knowledge, sex instinct, sex drive, libido, lust, concupiscence, hots, horns, arousal, heat, rut, estrus, oestrus, tumescence, erection, hard-on, boner, masturbation, self-gratification, autoeroticism, onanism, self- abuse, orgasm, climax, ejaculation, sexiness, attractiveness, sensuality, voluptuousness, fornication, adultery, sex symbol, sex goddess, stud, hunk, one-night stand, pornography, porn, porno, hardcore pornography, softcore pornography, pin-up, cheesecake, beefcake, Playboy, Esquire, Hustler, perversion, deviation, sexual abnormality, fetish, fetishism, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, sodomy, buggery, pederasty, sadism, masochism, sado-masochism, incest, sexy, erotic, sexual, carnal, sensual, hot, horny, randy, rutting, passionate, lusty, hot-blooded, libidinous, up, in the mood, homosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual.

Color

N color, hue, tint, tinge, dye, complexion, shade, tincture, cast, livery, coloration, glow, flush, tone, key, pure color, positive color, primary color, primitive complementary color, three primaries, spectrum, chromatic dispersion, broken color, secondary color, tertiary color, local color, coloring, keeping, tone, value, aerial perspective, chromatics, spectrum analysis, spectroscopy, chromatism, chromatography, chromatology, prism, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrometer, colorimeter (optical instruments), pigment, coloring matter, paint, dye, wash, distemper, stain, medium, mordant, oil paint, colored, colorific, tingent, tinctorial, chromatic, prismatic, full-colored, high-colored, deep-colored, doubly-dyed, polychromatic, chromatogenous, tingible, bright, vivid, intense, deep, fresh, unfaded, rich, gorgeous, gay, gaudy, florid, gay, garish, rainbow-colored, multihued, showy, flaunting, flashy, raw, crude, glaring, flaring, discordant, inharmonious, mellow, pastel, harmonious, pearly, sweet, delicate, tender, refined, color, hue, tint, tinge, dye, complexion, shade, tincture, cast, livery, coloration, glow, flush, tone, key, pure color, positive color, primary color, primitive complementary color, three primaries, spectrum, chromatic dispersion, broken color, secondary color, tertiary color, local color, coloring, keeping, tone, value, aerial perspective, chromatics, spectrum analysis, spectroscopy, chromatism, chromatography, chromatology, prism, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrometer, colorimeter (optical instruments), pigment, coloring matter, paint, dye, wash, distemper, stain, medium, mordant, oil paint, colored, colorific, tingent, tinctorial, chromatic, prismatic, full-colored, high-colored, deep-colored, doubly-dyed, polychromatic, chromatogenous, tingible, bright, vivid, intense, deep, fresh, unfaded, rich, gorgeous, gay, gaudy, florid, gay, garish, rainbow-colored, multihued, showy, flaunting, flashy, raw, crude, glaring, flaring, discordant, inharmonious, mellow, pastel, harmonious, pearly, sweet, delicate, tender, refined.