gaiety en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈɡeɪ.ə.ti/
- /ˈɡeɪ.ɪ.ti/
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French gaieté, from gai. By surface analysis, gay + -ety.
Meanings
-
(dated, uncountable) The state of being happy or merry.
The decorations added greatly to the gaiety of the room.
There was much gaiety at the ball.
During the present gayety of the house, however, the poor girl has gone about with a face full of trouble, and to use the housekeeper's words, "has fallen into a sad hystericky way lately."
1822 May 21, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Love Charms”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 218:Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety. She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.
1963, Margery Allingham, “Dangerous Lady”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 36:
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(countable, dated) Merrymaking or festivity.
And he would tell her all sorts of wonders, old-world gaieties, long before she was born; and how finely the great Mr. [George Frideric] Handel played upon the harpischord^([sic]) in the Music Hall, and how his talk was in German, Latin, French, English, Italian, and half-a-dozen languages beside, […]
1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “How an Evening Passes at the Elms, and Dr. Toole Makes a Little Excursion; and Two Choice Spirits Discourse, and Hebe Trips In with the Nectar”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume II, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, pages 275–276:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gaieties | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
happiness · joyfulness · exuberance · glee · elation · mirthfulness · contentedness · contentness · cheeriness · gayfulness · liss · gaiety · jovialness · gleefulness · gayness · joyousness · joy · gayfulness · merriness · merriment · joviality · mirth · felicity · exuberantness · jollity · gayness · delightedness · gleesomeness · pleasedness · high spirits · gayness (state of being happy) · hilarity · blitheness · elatedness · blithesomeness · jolliness · gladsomeness · gladness · cheerfulness · delight
Translations (25)
eo gajeco (state of being happy) · bg веселост (state of being happy) · cy hoywdeb (state of being happy) · tl kasiyahan (state of being happy) · es felicidad (state of being happy) · fi iloisuus (state of being happy) · ka სიმხიარულე (state of being happy) · it gaiezza (state of being happy) · de Glücklichsein (state of being happy) · tl katuwaan (state of being happy) · es alegría (state of being happy) · ga meidhir (state of being happy) · ka მხიარულება (state of being happy) · da munterhed (state of being happy) · es júbilo (state of being happy) · de Frohsinn (state of being happy) · wa gaiyté (state of being happy) · mi hiwa (state of being happy) · nb munterhet (state of being happy) · fa شادمانی (state of being happy) · tl kaligayahan (state of being happy) · ru весёлость (state of being happy) · fi ilo (state of being happy) · es regocijo (state of being happy) · ja ハピネス (state of being happy)