gaiety
/ˈɡeɪəti
/(US also gayety)
noun (plural gaieties) [mass noun]
1The state or quality of being light-hearted or cheerful: the sudden gaiety of children’s laughter...
- But he would much rather be on the boat, facing aliens, monsters, and just plain bad guys, than facing the cheerfulness and gaiety of another Christmas season.
- If red roses are arranged with yellow roses or blossoms contain both red and yellow coloration, they express gaiety, joviality and happiness.
- His exuberance, gaiety and intelligence made him many friends and his irrepressible high spirits and disregard for authority sometimes strained the patience of his tolerant and long suffering housemaster.
Synonyms
cheerfulness, cheer, light-heartedness, merriment, glee, gladness, happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, delight, pleasure, high spirits, good spirits, good humour, jollity, jolliness, hilarity, mirth, joviality, exuberance, elation, exultation, euphoria, jubilation;
liveliness, vivacity, animation, effervescence, levity, buoyancy, sprightliness, zest, zestfulness;
French joie de vivre
informal chirpiness, bounce, pep, zing
literary gladsomeness, blitheness, blithesomeness
rare gayness
1.1Lively celebration or festivities: he seemed to be a part of the gaiety, having a wonderful time...
- Time for celebration, festivities, gaiety, food, drink, laughter… oh, that's Christmas Eve.
- It stood in stark contrast to the gaiety and celebration of the previous day at Lake Burley Griffin.
- So it was nice to be invited to the jollity and gaiety of a wedding for once instead of being summonsed to a cremation.
Synonyms
merrymaking, festivity, fun, fun and games, frolics, revels, revelry, jollification, celebration, rejoicing, pleasure
informal living it up, larking about
dated sport
1.2 (gaieties) dated Entertainments or amusements: people long for the enchantments and gaieties of the European cities...
- Through these she saw the gaieties of the ‘Moondance’ festival in full force.
- Our harvest gaieties have come to a close, and the ghost stories are about to begin.
- Ninon's return to the gayeties of her drawing rooms was hailed with loud acclamations from all quarters.
Phrases
the gaiety of nations
Origin
Mid 17th century: from French gaieté, from gai (see gay).