What does jaunty mean?
Word: Jaunty
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Jaunty means lively and cheerful in a confident way.
How do you spell jaunty?
Syllables: jaun - ty
Tricky part: The aw sound after the j is spelt au. Pupils tend to write aw or a plain o.
Watch out for: jawnty, jonty
Memory tip: Picture a jaunty captain at a boat launch: both words hold the same aun.
Jaunty in a sentence
Example 1: The postman whistled a jaunty tune as he cycled down the lane.
Example 2: Her yellow scarf gave the plain uniform a jaunty touch.
Example 3: A jaunty little boat bobbed across the lake at Nainital.
Fun Fact
Jaunty, gentle and genteel are all linked. Jaunty comes from the French gentil, once meaning noble or well bred, so in the 1600s the word suggested good manners rather than high spirits.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
jauntty
a) n
b) u
c) y
d) t
Show answer
d) t. Only one t comes before the y.
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled letters in the sentence hide a word. Choose it.
Aditi crossed the playground with a yutanj step, swinging her bag.
a) jolly
b) jagged
c) jaunty
d) jumpy
Show answer
c) jaunty. Six letters with an n and a t: only one option has them.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word jaunty as used in the sentence:
Dadaji set off for the market with a jaunty wave to the neighbours.
a) perky
b) gloomy
c) merry
d) breezy
Show answer
b) gloomy. Merry, perky and breezy all sound bright; gloomy is the one that points the other way.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. jauntey 2. grateful 3. graceful 4. confident
a) feeling thankful for something
b) moving in a smooth, attractive way
c) full of bouncy high spirits
d) sure of your own abilities
Show answer
c) full of bouncy high spirits. The page word ends in a plain y, with no e before it.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which music would best match a jaunty scene in a film?
a) a slow, solemn piece played on a cello
b) a long, silent pause before the credits
c) a low, heavy rumble of distant drums
d) a quick, bouncy tune played on a flute
Show answer
d) a quick, bouncy tune played on a flute
2. How would someone wearing a hat at a jaunty angle probably feel?
a) embarrassed by all of the attention
b) tired out after a long and hard day
c) worried about getting home on time
d) pleased with themselves and in high spirits
Show answer
d) pleased with themselves and in high spirits
