anti-gay
|an-ti-gay|
/ˌæn.tiˈɡeɪ/
against gay people / gay rights
Etymology
'anti-gay' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí'/'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with 'gay' (from Old French 'gai' meaning 'joyful', later used in modern English to denote 'homosexual').
'gay' changed from Old French 'gai' meaning 'joyful' and entered Middle English with that sense; in the 20th century 'gay' developed the modern sense 'homosexual'. The combining prefix 'anti-' entered English via Latin/French and formed compounds like 'anti-gay' to mean 'against gay people or rights'.
Originally 'gay' meant 'joyful'; over time it came to mean 'homosexual', and 'anti-gay' came to mean 'against homosexual people or their rights'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to gay people or gay rights (often used to describe someone holding homophobic views).
The rally drew both supporters and anti-gay who protested the new ordinance.
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Adjective 1
opposed to gay people or to gay rights; expressing hostility, prejudice, or discriminatory attitudes toward gay people.
The politician made several anti-gay statements during the campaign.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 18:37