gay-friendly
|gay-friend-ly|
/ˈɡeɪˌfrɛndli/
welcoming to gay people
Etymology
'gay-friendly' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'gay' and 'friendly', where 'gay' originally comes from Old French, specifically the word 'gai', meaning 'joyful' or 'merry', and 'friendly' comes from Old English, specifically the word 'frēond' meaning 'friend'.
'gay' changed from Old French 'gai' into Middle English 'gay' with the sense 'joyful' or 'carefree'; in the 20th century 'gay' acquired the sense 'homosexual' and later combined with 'friendly' (from Old English 'frēond' → Middle English 'friend' + adjectival '-ly') to form the modern compound 'gay-friendly'.
Initially, 'gay' meant 'joyful' or 'carefree', but over time it developed the modern sense 'homosexual'; combined with 'friendly' the compound now means 'welcoming to or suitable for gay people'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
welcoming, accepting of, or specially suitable for gay people; showing friendliness or support toward gay people.
The neighborhood is very gay-friendly, with cafes and bars that welcome LGBT customers.
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Adjective 2
designed or marketed specifically to appeal to gay people (e.g., businesses, events, or services).
They advertised the resort as gay-friendly to attract same-sex couples.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 19:10