Meaning & use
gay
Last updated
Romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex; often used specifically to describe men attracted to men.
See it in a sentence
He came out to his family as gay when he was nineteen.
The film follows a gay couple navigating life in a small town.
A note on using this word
An older, now largely archaic sense of the word meant 'joyful' or 'carefree'; the modern standard usage refers to sexual orientation and is the neutral, widely accepted term.
Words with a similar meaning
homosexual
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
straightheterosexual
Make it your own
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