jaunty

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   showing cheerful self-confidence in a lively, carefree manner

   He gave a jaunty wave as he stepped onto the train.

2. 2
   adj

   lively, stylish, or set at an attractively informal angle

   She wore a red hat at a jaunty angle.

Simplified etymology

Jaunty arose in the mid-17th century as an English adaptation of French gentil, the French word for “gentle,” and initially meant “well bred.”

Earlier spelled janty and borrowed from French gentil ("well-born, elegant"), making jaunty an etymological relative of gentle and genteel. Its meaning shifted from well-bred or fashionable to stylishly lively and cheerfully self-confident.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary