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jauntiness

jauntiness

6.8
A lively, cheerful, and relaxed way of moving or dressing
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɔːntɪnəs/
translation icon : alegría
  • The children's laughter and playful antics added a delightful jauntiness to the birthday party.

Examples

  • Her jauntiness was evident as she danced through the streets, radiating happiness and energy.

  • The jauntiness of the orange scarf she wore like a turban to hide her hairlessness provoked me.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Aiming for jauntiness, he said to Janine, "I called my grandfather Zeide, but where would Daniel hear such a word out here?" Janine laughed, showing pretty teeth.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • And the curiously "off" tone of this section—its dissonant jauntiness—is Bishop's admission that she cannot make this particular "other" into another form of herself.

    Academic text (2007)
  • For Lang, the late-Victorian turn to French fixed forms, with their allegedly inherent jauntiness, brightened English verse and provided a counteraffect to the gloom of modernity.

    Academic text (2017)
  • What makes for poetic ambivalence, however, is the disturbing, even obnoxious jauntiness of the speaker as he addresses the suicides: "How did it happen, my poor boy? / You wanted the Tuileries for toy, / And could not, so it broke your heart?" (ll. 38-40).

    Academic text (2017)
  • With his bright smile and casual attire, he embodied a charming jauntiness that lifted everyone's spirits.

Synonyms

playfulness
vsjauntiness
8 2.5

Being ready to play and have fun

keeps carefree cheer but is more about lively manner than play
vibrancy
vsjauntiness
7 4.6

A strong, lively energy and brightness in people, places, or things

keeps brightness but is more about easy carefree manner than raw energy
joie de vivre
vsjauntiness
7 9.6

A feeling of great joy and energy about life

keeps exuberance but is more about light, carefree jaunty manner
cheerfulness
vsjauntiness
4 1.0

A happy mood that makes you smile and helps others feel good

adds a lively, carefree manner and brisk external style to that happiness
liveliness
vsjauntiness
3 3.4

A feeling of energy and excitement that makes people active

retains cheer but is lighter and more carefree rather than intense energy
spiritedness
vsjauntiness
3 5.6

A quality of being lively and full of energy

leans more toward jaunty cheerfulness in manner than sheer spirit
vivacity
vsjauntiness
1 6.8

Being lively and full of cheerful energy that makes people notice you

adds a lighter, carefree manner that feels jaunty rather than merely animated
ebullience
vsjauntiness
1 8.5

A feeling of cheerful, lively energy that people show

is similarly joyful but skews to a lighter, jaunty outward style
perkiness
vsjauntiness
1 6.0

Lively and cheerful in a bright, energetic way that can seem a little too playful

is cheerfully carefree but usually more stylishly jaunty than inappropriate
lightheartedness
vsjauntiness
1 4.8

A cheerful, carefree feeling that makes people relax

adds a lively, more visibly jaunty manner to that carefree mood
joviality
vsjauntiness
1 6.0

A cheerful, friendly mood that makes people feel good

is more about a jaunty, carefree appearance than social friendliness
jollity
vsjauntiness
1 7.5

A cheerful, lively feeling that people show when they enjoy themselves

shares cheer but focuses more on a jaunty, stylish appearance
jolliness
vsjauntiness
1 2.7

A happy, lively feeling that makes people smile

is similar but stresses a jaunty look and carefree manner
vibrance
vsjauntiness
1 4.9

A bright, lively look or feeling that shows energy

shares liveliness but stresses a jaunty, carefree outer manner
chirpiness
vsjauntiness
  • Informal
1 4.4

A happy, lively mood that makes people smile

is similar but focuses on jaunty manner and carefree appearance
peppiness
vsjauntiness
  • Informal
1 5.0

A feeling of lively energy and excitement

retains cheer but is lighter and more carefree in outward style
lightsomeness
vsjauntiness
  • Literature
9.8

A cheerful, carefree feeling that makes life seem easier

is the same carefree cheerfulness but with a jaunty outward style
blitheness
vsjauntiness
8.6

A happy, carefree feeling that makes people cheerful

is similar but emphasizes a lively, jaunty appearance rather than calm ease
breeziness
vsjauntiness
4.8

A cheerful relaxed manner that makes people feel at ease

leans more toward a sprightly, showy liveliness rather than relaxed cheer
jocundity
vsjauntiness
  • Archaic
9.9

A happy, light feeling that makes people smile and laugh

aligns with that cheer but highlights a jaunty, lively presentation
vivaciousness
vsjauntiness
7.0

A strong, happy energy that makes someone lively

is similar but focuses more on carefree and jaunty outwardness
high-spiritedness
vsjauntiness
6.0

A lively, cheerful energy that makes people feel happy

is cheerfully lively but more about a carefree, jaunty appearance
sportiveness
vsjauntiness
  • Literature
6.7

Lively, playful behavior that makes people laugh

is more about carefree, stylish cheer than playful frolic
frolicsomeness
vsjauntiness
9.5

Playful, lively behaviour that shows happy energy

keeps playfulness out of the focus and adds jaunty carefree manner
tripperish attitude
vsjauntiness
  • Informal
9.5

A cheerful, carefree way of acting that makes people relaxed

matches that carefreeness but emphasizes a jaunty, lively appearance

Antonyms

53 2.7

A calm and honest way of speaking or acting that shows you mean what you say

A deep feeling of sadness about a loss

How Lively

exuberance
27 6.7
jauntiness
6.8
calmness
9 2.7

Surface Forms

jauntiness singular
jauntinesses plural

Morphology

jauntiness = jaunty (transparent) = jaunt + y + ness

The noun is a regular nominalization of the adjective 'jaunty' (jaunty + -ness), so the meaning is directly predictable from the base adjective.

Etymology

The word jauntiness comes from jaunt ('short trip') and the adjective jaunty ('lively' or 'cheerful'). A helpful way to remember it is to picture someone coming back from a quick, fun walk, moving with a bouncy, confident step — that bright, carefree look is jauntiness.