what do you exactly mean by "Gay"?

Answer 1

To me, "gay" means exactly what it's original meaning was and what it's supposed to mean. However, because people have perverted the meaning and have twisted it to mean something that it really doesn't mean, I simply don't use the word so that I'm not misconstrued. (See usage note below).

So, I "call a spade a spade." If I'm referring to a homosexual, I usually call them that. If I'm referring to happiness, I usually find a synonym to use.


–adjective
1.having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay spirits; gay music.
2.bright or showy: gay colors; gay ornaments.
3.given to or abounding in social or other pleasures: a gay social season.
4.licentious; dissipated; wanton: The baron is a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies.


—Synonyms
1. gleeful, jovial, glad, joyous, happy, cheerful, sprightly, blithe, airy, light-hearted; vivacious, frolicsome, sportive, hilarious. Gay, jolly, joyful, merry describe a happy or light-hearted mood. Gay suggests a lightness of heart or liveliness of mood that is openly manifested: when hearts were young and gay. Jolly indicates a good-humored, natural, expansive gaiety of mood or disposition: a jolly crowd at a party. Joyful suggests gladness, happiness, rejoicing: joyful over the good news. Merry is often interchangeable with gay: a merry disposition; a merry party; it suggests, even more than the latter, convivial animated enjoyment. 2. brilliant.


—Antonyms
1. unhappy, mournful.


—Usage note
In addition to its original and continuing senses of “merry, lively” and “bright or showy,” gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel. This sexual world included homosexuals too, and gay as an adjective meaning “homosexual” goes back at least to the early 1900s. After World War II, as social attitudes toward sexuality began to change, gay was applied openly by homosexuals to themselves, first as an adjective and later as a noun. Today, the noun often designates only a male homosexual: gays and lesbians. The word has ceased to be slang and is not used disparagingly. Homosexual as a noun is sometimes used only in reference to a male.

Answer 2

The real meaning, according to my dictionary, is 'lively, sportive,, merry, of loose life, bright or showy'. Sadly it has been stolen by the homosexual community although I suppose quite innocently in one respect. I remember the first time I saw the word used was in a newspaper report around 1965. The article was about the British Army Regiment, the Scots Guards and how rampant homosexuality was amongst some of it's officers. As homosexuality was illegal in Britain in those days and, even until recently, homosexuals were banned from serving in H M Forces, it was important for these people to disguise their sexuality but find a way to let other homosexuals know so as to form illegal alliances and protect their dark secret. Therefore they devised the phrase 'Good As You' and used the initials G.A.Y. as a secret code. This became corrupted to the word 'gay;' and has been ever since. They also used other words like 'pink', but 'gay' became the universally adopted term and consigned a perfectly good word to the rubbish dump of grammatically incorrectly used words.

Answer 3

Gay is an adjective meaning "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; however in modern usage, gay is a word usually used, as either a noun or adjective, to refer to same-sex sexual orientation; homosexuality.

"Gay", when used as an adjective, sometimes describes traits associated with both queer, or homosexual, men and women, culture or lifestyle. The term lesbian, on the other hand, is used exclusively in a gender-specific way to describe women who prefer sexual relations with other women.

Answer 4

Gay is an adjective meaning "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; however in modern usage, gay is a word usually used, as either a noun or adjective, to refer to same-sex sexual orientation; homosexuality.

"Gay", when used as an adjective, sometimes describes traits associated with both queer, or homosexual, men and women, culture or lifestyle. The term lesbian, on the other hand, is used exclusively in a gender-specific way to describe women who prefer sexual relations with other women.

Answer 5

Gay really means happy.

Answer 6

I think I use it several ways. I see people as being gay when they are homosexuals. I see people as acting gay when they act like a stereoptypical homosexual.... mostly a flamboyant efemitate often slutty behavior for men and a masculine, butch behavior for women. I have known gay men that did not act gay, though, as well as gay women that did not act gay and vice versa.

Answer 7

the word gay means happy care free nothing else

Answer 8

I stick with the old meaning : happy, cheerful

Answer 9

It either means you're a happy 90 year old, or a freaking queer.

Answer 10

2 def.:
1. Happy (less used)
2. Marrying someone of your own sex. (more used) Ex: girl/girl guy/guy