Standard Lemma guide

gaydar

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɡeɪdɑː/
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɡeɪˌdɑɹ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪdɑː(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: G EY1 D AA2 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay by observing that person's appearance, mannerisms, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: LGBTQ slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English gay English radiotelegraphyclip. English radio Latin dētēctiōder. Latin dētēctiōnembor. English detection Proto-Indo-European *h2ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h2énts Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *h2énti Proto-Germanic *andi Old English and Middle English and English and Proto-Indo-European *(H)rek-der. Proto-Celtic *reketi Gaulish *rekosbor.? Proto-Indo-European *h3reǵ-der. Proto-Germanic *rinkanąder. Proto-Germanic *rankaz Frankish *rankbor.? Vulgar Latin *rencus Old French reng Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Old French -ier Old French rengierbor. Middle English rengen English range Middle English -ynge English -ing English ranging English RADAR English radar blend English gaydar Blend of gay + radar, equivalent to gay + -dar.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: գեյդար (geydar) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Asturian: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Belarusian: гейдар (hjejdar) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Chinese Mandarin: gay達 /gay达 (gèidá) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Chinese Mandarin: 同志雷達 /同志雷达 (tóngzhìléidá) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Czech: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Danish: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Danish: bøsseradar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Dutch: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Finnish: homotutka — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • French: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Galician: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • German: Gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • German: n — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Hebrew: גיידאר — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Indonesian: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Italian: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Japanese: ゲイダー (geidā) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Korean: 게이다 (geida) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Macedonian: ге́јдар (géjdar) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Persian: گیدار — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Polish: gejdar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Polish: gejradar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Portuguese: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Russian: гейда́р (gejdár) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Russian: гей-рада́р (gej-radár) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Spanish: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Swedish: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Swedish: bögradar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Thai: เกย์ดาร์ — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Turkish: gaydar — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Ukrainian: гейдар (hejdar) — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay
  • Vietnamese: trực giác nhận biết đồng tính — supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay