gayness

noun

Definition of gaynessnext
as in glee
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter the melancholy-tinged gayness of college-bound friends on their last fling together before going their separate ways

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gayness But there is nary a hint of true gayness in this film, which also happens to be completely sexless. — Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026 Your Lorenz Hart also toys with archetypes of gayness. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gayness
  1. glee
  2. cheerfulness
  3. festivity
Noun
  • Detractors attacked the moment with glee, but that viewpoint ends up being shortsighted.
    — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The prospect of a flagship GOP state turning blue doesn't just fill Democrats with glee and Republicans with alarm.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glee
Noun
  • Leaders, in particular, have the power to shift the mood of their teams, not by pretending everything is fine or manufacturing cheerfulness but through tone, body language, and small actions.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The service Professionalism comes with genuine warmth, cheerfulness, and a sense of people absolutely loving their jobs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheerfulness
Noun
  • Those festivities have passed, of course, but Garcia is still excited to be in the neighborhood.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There was, however, some confusion about when the festivities were supposed to begin.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of festivity

Browse Nearby Words

gay
gayness
gaze
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gayness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gayness. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All