gay

¹

[gey]

adjective

gayer, gayest 

1. 1. of, relating to, or being a person who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of their own sex or gender.

      A gay couple strolled by on the boardwalk.

   2. of, relating to, or being a person who is sexually or romantically attracted only to people of their own sex or gender.

      Gay and bisexual men are both discussed in this study.

2. of, indicating, or supporting interests or issues pertaining to gay people or the gay community.

   He gives charitable contributions to a gay organization.

3. Older Use.,  having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay music.

   gay spirits;

   gay music.

4. Older Use.,  bright or showy: gay ornaments.

   gay colors;

   gay ornaments.

5. Obsolete.

   1. (used especially of women and especially in poetry) beautiful, lofty, noble, or excellent.

      The learned man hath got the lady gay.

   2. excellent; topnotch.

      a gay and lofty mind.

6. Older Use.,  given to or abounding in social or other pleasures: the Gay Nineties.

   a gay social season;

   the Gay Nineties.

7. Older Use.,  sexually unrestrained; having loose morals.

   In the 1930s movie, the baron is referred to as “a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies.”

8. Slang: Older Use.,  inappropriately forward or bold; overly familiar; reckless.

   George got gay at the Christmas party and suddenly swept his boss's wife onto the dance floor.

9. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.,  awkward, stupid, or bad.

noun

1. Usually Offensive.

   1. a person, especially a man, who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of the same sex or gender.

   2. a person, especially a man, who is sexually or romantically attracted exclusively to people of the same sex or gender.

adverb

1. in a gay manner.

Gay

²

[gey]

noun

1. John, 1685–1732, English poet and dramatist.

2. a female or male given name.

gay

¹

/ ɡeɪ /

adjective

1. 1. homosexual

   2. of or for homosexuals

      a gay club

2. 1. carefree and merry

      a gay temperament

   2. brightly coloured; brilliant

      a gay hat

   3. given to pleasure, esp in social entertainment

      a gay life

noun

1. a homosexual

Gay

²

/ ɡeɪ /

noun

1. John. 1685–1732, English poet and dramatist; author of The Beggar's Opera (1728)

gay

1. Descriptive term for homosexuals.

Usage Alert

The sexual orientation meaning of the word gay has become so predominant that people hesitate to use the term in its original senses of “merry, lively” and “bright or showy.” But the word's association with sexuality is not new. The word gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel. This sexual world included gay men too, and gay as an adjective in the sexual meaning goes back at least to the late 1930s. After World War II, as social attitudes toward sexuality began to change, gay was applied openly by gay men to themselves, first as an adjective and later as a noun. It is no longer considered slang. Today, the noun often designates only gay men and is usually used as a collective plural: gays and lesbians. How do gays feel about this? But usage as a singular noun is usually perceived as insulting. It has been argued that gay in the sense “awkward, stupid, or bad” is independent of the sexual sense, and therefore not homophobic. This argument is weakened by the fact that the sexual meaning has long been the dominant one, and thus permeates all usages of gay. See also homosexual .

Usage

Gayness is the word used to refer to homosexuality. The noun which refers to being carefree and merry is gaiety

Words like gay and lesbian are often used as umbrella terms describing anyone who experiences same-gender attraction, and also as more specific labels. Umbrella usage, as in gay marriage or lesbian couple, typically refers to any same-gender pairing, or to any person who is attracted to people of their own gender. Gay itself can also be used as an even more general term describing people of all genders who are attracted to their own gender. As more specific labels, gay and lesbian often mean exclusive attraction to the same gender, and may be used in contrast with terms like bisexual. And gay can also be used to refer to only men who are attracted to men (exclusively or not), in contrast to lesbian, which only refers to women. Other terms, such as sapphic for women, are sometimes used to be unambiguously inclusive of people attracted to multiple genders.

Other Word Forms

• gayness noun
• nongay adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gay¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English gai, from Old French “happy, cheerful,” from Germanic; compare Old High German gāhi “fast, sudden”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gay¹

C13: from Old French gai, from Old Provençal, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

The main characters’ bond over loss coils around a secret that burdens Dennis, a gay man fascinated with twinship, the more time they spend together.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, 53% of Reform voters believe that attempts to give equal opportunities for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals have "gone too far".

From BBC

He faced much criticism during his career, including in 2015 when he said a gay man "does not need to dress homosexual".

From BBC

California law requires students learn and be provided instructional materials that explain the “role and contributions” of, among others, “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.”

From Los Angeles Times

A blue plaque dedicated to a gay couple who "defied convention" during the 1950s and 60s has been unveiled at the site of the shop they ran.

From BBC