gaiety

plural gaieties

1. dateduncountableThe state of being happy or merry.

   There was much gaiety at the ball.

   3 more examples

   The decorations added greatly to the gaiety of the room.

   During the present gayety of the house, however, the poor girl has gone about with a face full of trouble, and to use the housekeeper's words, "has fallen into a sad hystericky way lately."

   1822 May 21, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Love Charms”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 218

   Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety. She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.

   1963, Margery Allingham, “Dangerous Lady”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 36

   Synonyms: gayfulness, gayness, blitheness, blithesomeness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, contentness, contentedness

2. countabledatedMerrymaking or festivity.

   1 more example

   And he would tell her all sorts of wonders, old-world gaieties, long before she was born; and how finely the great Mr. [George Frideric] Handel played upon the harpischord^([sic]) in the Music Hall, and how his talk was in German, Latin, French, English, Italian, and half-a-dozen languages beside, […]

   1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “How an Evening Passes at the Elms, and Dr. Toole Makes a Little Excursion; and Two Choice Spirits Discourse, and Hebe Trips In with the Nectar”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume II, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, pages 275–276