gay
gay Lexical Profile
gay Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Sexually or romantically attracted to people of one's own sex (used especially of men, or more broadly of homosexual people of any gender).
"The documentary chronicles the history of the gay rights movement in the twentieth century."
Lighthearted, carefree, and voller of mirth or merriment (now dated or literary).
"The novel describes a gay gathering of aristocrats dancing late into the summer evening."
Brightly colored, showy, or visually lively (now dated or literary).
"In spring, the cottage garden was adorned with gay beds of tulips and daffodils."
• noun
A homosexual person, especially a gay man (most commonly used in the plural).
"The community center provides legal advocacy and health resources for local gays and lesbians."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary usage, "gay" is much more favored as an adjective ("gay people" or "a gay man") than as a countable singular noun ("a gay"), which is often considered reductive. Additionally, the older senses meaning "lighthearted" or "brightly colored" have largely fallen out of everyday speech to avoid ambiguity.
• Rhymes for gay
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 14th century from Old French "gai" (joyful, lighthearted), likely of Frankish or Old Provençal origin. Its semantic shift toward sexuality began via 17th-century senses of "hedonistic" or "uninhibited," solidifying in 20th-century underground slang to refer specifically to homosexual people.