different between gey vs merry

English

Etymology

Originally a variant form of gay, now associated with distinct senses.

Adverb

gey (not comparable)

1. (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England) Very. [from 17th c.]
   • 1816, Sir Walter Scott, The Antiquary, Oxford University Press, 2002, p.207:

     I am nae believer in auld wives' stories about ghaists, though this is gey like a place for them - But mortal, or of the other world, here they come! - twa men and a light.

   • 2001, David Thomson, The People of the Sea: Celtic Tales of the Seal-folk, Canongate Books, p.213:

     But I'll put a gold chain around his neck, An' a gey good chain it'll be.

Adjective

gey (comparative geyer, superlative geyest)

1. (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England) Fairly good; considerable. [from 18th c.]
   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 16:

     They were married next New Year's Day, and Ellison had begun to think himself a gey man in Kinraddie, and maybe one of the gentry.

Anagrams

• Egy., yeg

Azerbaijani

Etymology

From English gay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ej/

Noun

gey (definite accusative geyi, plural geyl?r)

1. A gay, a homosexual male.

   Synonym: homoseksual

Declension

Related terms

• götv?r?n (offensive). See more related terms there.

Manx

Noun

gey m

1. Eclipsed form of key.

Mutation

Scots

Alternative forms

• gye

Etymology

Alteration of English gay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?/, /??i/

Adverb

gey (not comparable)

1. very
2. quite

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from English gay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?/

Noun

gey (definite accusative geyi, plural geyler)

1. A gay, a homosexual male.

Declension

Synonyms

• e?cinsel
• homoseksüel

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??i/
• (General American) enPR: m?r??, IPA^(key): /?m??i/, /?me??i/
• (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
• (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• Rhymes: -??i
• Hyphenation: mer?ry

Etymology 1

From Middle English mery, merie, mirie, myrie, murie, mur?e, from Old English meri?e, miri?e, myri?e, myre?e, myr?e (“pleasing, agreeable; pleasant, sweet, delightful; melodious”), from Proto-Germanic *murguz (“short, slow”), from Proto-Indo-European *mré??us (“short”). Cognate with Scots mery, mirry (“merry”), Middle Dutch mergelijc (“pleasant, agreeable, joyful”), Norwegian dialectal myrjel (“small object, figurine”), Latin brevis (“short, small, narrow, shallow”), Ancient Greek ?????? (brakhús, “short”). Doublet of brief.

Alternative forms

• merie, merrie, mery (obsolete)

Adjective

merry (comparative merrier, superlative merriest)

1. Jolly and full of high spirits; happy.
2. Festive and full of fun and laughter.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     If I have the chance, I will make our worshipful Sheriff pay right well for that which he hath done to me. Maybe I may bring him some time into Sherwood Forest and have him to a right merry feast with us.

3. Brisk

4. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight.
5. (euphemistic) drunk; tipsy

Synonyms

• (jolly): cheerful, content, ecstatic, exultant, gay, happy, jovial, joyful, pleased; see also Thesaurus:happy
• (festive): convivial, gay, jovial
• (brisk): energetic, lively, spirited; see also Thesaurus:active
• (causing laughter): delightful, gladful
• (drunk): lushy, muzzy, squiffy; see also Thesaurus:drunk

Antonyms

• (jolly): miserable, unhappy

Derived terms

• Merry Christmas

Translations

Derived terms

• merrier
• merrily
• merriment
• merriness

Related terms

• mirth

Etymology 2

French merise

Noun

merry (plural merries)

1. An English wild cherry.

Anagrams

• Rymer