Somewhat gay or cheerful; having qualities of gaiety but not overwhelmingly so; moderately festive or lighthearted.
From gay (meaning happy or cheerful) plus the -ish suffix meaning 'somewhat' or 'rather.' A compound adjective formation common in English for expressing degree.
The -ish suffix is one of English's most productive tools for softening or moderating adjectives—'gayish' captures that uncertain, not-quite-fully quality. It's similar to how we use 'smallish' or 'bluish' today.
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