Gay
0 antonyms and opposites of Gay, grouped by meaning.
Adj — Homosexual; romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex.
How to use Gay
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Used as slang for "lame" or "stupid" ("that's so gay") is widely considered offensive and best avoided.
Etymology
From Old French gai ("joyful, lively"). The modern sense meaning "homosexual" developed in the 20th century from earlier slang use, becoming the dominant meaning of the word by the later 1900s.
Full origin of Gay →Frequently asked questions
What did the word 'gay' originally mean?
For centuries 'gay' meant carefree, bright, or happy, and you can still find that sense in older books and songs. Through the twentieth century it gradually came to mean homosexual, which is now its primary meaning in everyday English. The cheerful sense survives mostly in historical or literary contexts.