What does jauntily mean?
Jauntily means in a cheerful, carefree, and confident manner, often with a hint of stylish swagger. It is the adverb derived from jaunty, an adjective for someone who appears lively, dashing, and pleasantly self-assured. The word is especially evocative when describing movement: a person may walk jauntily, stroll jauntily, or wave jauntily, suggesting that they are enjoying themselves and carrying themselves with informal confidence. Its tone can be affectionate or mildly ironic, since a jaunty manner may imply that someone knows they are being noticed. Jauntily occurs in both British and American English but is somewhat more literary and less frequent in everyday speech than jaunty. It is therefore a useful word for vivid description, particularly when the writer wants to convey both cheerful energy and a distinctive, slightly theatrical bearing.
adverbIn a jaunty manner, with cheerful confidence, lively energy, and a carefree or slightly swaggering bearing.
- With cheerful, carefree confidence and a lively, stylish bearing.
"She walked jauntily down the pier, whistling as the sea breeze lifted her hat."
"He strolled jauntily into the café, as if he had arrived exactly as intended."
"The guide set off jauntily, pretending not to notice the rain."
Jauntily smuggles a whole personality into an adverb: it describes a walk that seems to enjoy its own swagger.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jauntily come from?
Jauntily was formed as the adverb of jaunty. Jaunty entered English in the 17th century from French janté, meaning "having an elegant or jaunty bearing," and is related to French janter, meaning "to bounce" or "swagger." The related English noun jaunt, meaning a short journey taken for pleasure, belongs to the same French word family.
How jauntily is actually used
The adverb often conveys a breezy, self-assured, and slightly swaggering manner. It is more literary and less common than the adjective jaunty and can sound somewhat old-fashioned in very formal contexts.
Easily confused with jauntily
Jaunty is the adjective meaning stylish, cheerful, or self-assured, whereas jauntily is the adverb describing how such a manner is expressed.