Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
adjective gladder or gladdest
- happy and pleased; contented
- causing happiness or contentment
- (postpositive foll by to) very willinghe was glad to help
- (postpositive foll by of) happy or pleased to haveglad of her help
verb glads, gladding or gladded
- an archaic word for gladden
noun
- informal short for gladiolus Also called (Austral): gladdie (ˈɡlædɪ)
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