Gayer

/ˈɡeɪər/ adjective

Definition

More gay; either more happy and lighthearted in the traditional sense, or more homosexual in orientation.

Etymology

From Old French 'gai' (joyful, lively), the adjective 'gay' originally meant carefree and brightly colored. The sexual orientation meaning emerged in the 20th century, possibly from the carefree, uninhibited sense.

Kelly Says

The word 'gay' had a complete meaning reversal in just 70 years—1950s dictionaries define it as 'happy and carefree,' but by the 1980s, that meaning was almost completely replaced. This is one of the fastest semantic shifts in English, driven by a community deliberately reclaiming and celebrating the term.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.