Gay

1 antonym for Gay — opposites grouped by meaning.

Adj — Homosexual; romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Homosexual; romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex.

“He came out as gay to his family last year.”

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2. adj

Happy, carefree, and full of fun (an older, still-used sense, especially in older writing).

“The children ran through the garden in gay abandon.”

Opposites

sad

3. noun

A homosexual person, especially a man.

“The bar was a popular meeting spot for gays in the city.”

homophile homosexual homo

Antonyms

sad

How to use Gay

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

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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.

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Nearby words

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