Sekirov Dictionary

gay

/ɡeɪ/

adjective 21
noun 5
verb 2
adverb 1
forms 5
phrases 1

adjective21

•
feeling romantic love or sexual desire only for people whose sex is the same as their own
- Cliff is gay, but his twin brother is straight.
Homosexual.
Of a man, only romantically and/or sexually attracted to other men.
Tending to partner or mate with other individuals of the same sex.
•
Between two or more persons perceived to be of the same sex or gender as each other.
- Although the number of gay weddings has increased significantly, many gay and lesbian couples — like many straight couples — are not interested in getting married.
(informal) Not heterosexual, or not cisgender: homosexual, bisexual, asexual, transgender, etc.
•
Intended for gay people, especially gay men.
- She professes an undying love for gay bars and gay movies, and even admits to having watched gay porn.
•
(slang, offensive) Used to express dislike: lame, uncool, stupid, burdensome, contemptible, generally bad.
- This game is gay; let’s play a different one.
•
(old-fashioned) Happy, joyful, and lively.
- The Gay Divorcee. — 1934
Being in accordance with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
•
Exhibiting appearance or behavior that accords with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
- This incident has become a source of much discussion, and the jury is still out on who is more gay: the guy who touched a dick or the guy who let a guy touch his dick. — 2005
(informal) In accordance with stereotypes of homosexual people.
(slang, offensive) Flamboyant or effeminate in behavior.
•
(slang) Homosexually in love with someone.
- […] the pirates, who are obviously totally gay for each other […] — 2014
•
(slang, humorous) Infatuated with something, aligning with homosexual stereotypes.
- Vanilla straight guy here. […] Is it socially acceptable for me to good-naturedly say, "I'm totally gay for musical theater"? — 2014
•
(old-fashioned) Festive, bright, or colourful.
- Pennsylvania Dutch include the plain folk and the gay folk.
•
(old-fashioned) Quick, fast.
- I went a gay shack, / For it started to rain. — 1873
•
Upright or curved over the back.
- While the dog in concentrating at a given task, the tail is carried low and used for balance. In excitement it may rise level with the back. A “gay” tail is a fault. — 1997
•
(no longer used) Sexually promiscuous (of any gender), (sometimes particularly) engaged in prostitution.
- Prince Borghese was what is called a "gay, dissipated man"—that is to say, a powerful person leading a debauched and infamous life. — 1856
•
(no longer used) Fair, beautiful, pretty, bonny; elegant, fine.
- Thy purse and eke thy gay guilt kniues, thy pincase gallant to the eie: No better wore the Burgesse wiues, and yet thou wouldst not loue me. — 1878
•
(Scotland, no longer used) Considerable, great, large in number, size, or degree. In this sense, also in the variant gey.
- As his reply was rather characteristic, I will give it : Many of them come a gay bit off. — 1832

noun5

•
[in the plural] (offensive) A homosexual, especially a male homosexual.
- [headline] N.Y. Gays: Will the Spark Die? — 1969
•
(informal, offensive) Gayness: the quality of being gay.
- Anti-gay persecution holds that you can pray the gay out of a person, or scare it out of them, or cajole it out of them.
The letter —, which stands for the sound /ɡ/, in Pitman shorthand.
•
(dialect, no longer used) Something which is bright or colorful, such as a picture or a flower.
- At a stall soon Mary bote / A hume-book full ov gays. — 1839
•
(no longer used) An ornament, a knick-knack.
- Look upon precepts in emblems, as they do to upon gays and pictures. — 1692

verb2

(informal) To cause (something, e.g. AIDS) to be associated with homosexual people.
•
(old-fashioned) To make happy or cheerful.
- SAYING GOOD-BYE (song) WE are always saying / "Good-bye, good-bye! / In work, in playing, / In gloom, in gaying […] — 1922

adverb1

•
(Scotland, Northern-England) Considerably, very.
- And, tho' his guts ware lank and toom, / They're twice as big's this gay big room. — 1833

forms

gayed · gaying · gays · gayer · gayest

Phrases with gay

gay up
To make something more appealing to the gay community e.g. by adding gay characters to a soap opera.

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