Gay
13 synonyms and 1 antonym for Gay, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Homosexual; romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
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.”
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
3. noun
A homosexual person, especially a man.
“The bar was a popular meeting spot for gays in the city.”
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 →