gladness








adjective, glad·der, glad·dest.

  1. feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased: glad about the good news; glad that you are here.
  2. accompanied by or causing joy or pleasure: a glad occasion; glad tidings.
  3. characterized by or showing cheerfulness, joy, or pleasure, as looks or utterances.
  4. very willing: I’ll be glad to give him your message.

verb (used with object), glad·ded, glad·ding.

  1. Archaic. to make glad.

adjective gladder or gladdest

  1. happy and pleased; contented
  2. causing happiness or contentment
  3. (postpositive foll by to) very willinghe was glad to help
  4. (postpositive foll by of) happy or pleased to haveglad of her help

verb glads, gladding or gladded

  1. an archaic word for gladden

noun

  1. informal short for gladiolus Also called (Austral): gladdie (ˈɡlædɪ)
n.

Old English glædnes; see glad + -ness.

adj.

Old English glæd “bright, shining, joyous,” from Proto-Germanic *glada- (cf. Old Norse glaðr “smooth, bright, glad,” Danish glad “glad, joyful,” Old Saxon gladmod “glad,” Old Frisian gled “smooth,” Dutch glad “slippery,” German glatt “smooth”), from PIE *ghel- “to shine” (see glass). The modern sense is much weakened. Slang glad rags “one’s best clothes” first recorded 1902.

In addition to the idioms beginning with glad

  • glad hand
  • glad rags

also see:

  • give someone the once-over (glad eye)
  • not suffer fools gladly
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