gladden
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See cheer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gladdensimple
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gladdenssimple
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have gladdenedperfect
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has gladdenedperfect
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am gladdeningprogressive
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are gladdeningprogressive
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is gladdeningprogressive
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have been gladdeningperfect progressive
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has been gladdeningperfect progressive
Past
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gladdenedsimple
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had gladdenedperfect
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was gladdeningprogressive
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were gladdeningprogressive
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had been gladdeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of gladden
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at glad 1, -en 1
Explanation
To gladden is to make someone happy by delighting them or cheering them up. It will gladden your heart to finally find your lost dog. The verb gladden means "to make glad," from the Old English glæd, "bright, shining, gleaming" and also "joyous." So when something gladdens you, like running into your beloved kindergarten teacher, it brightens your whole day. Before the early 14th century, people used the word glad as a verb instead, as in: "It glads my ears to hear such beautiful music."
Vocabulary lists containing gladden
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first installment revolved around solar contractor Ronald Gladden, who participated in a court case along with a preposterous group of actor-jurors sequestered together for the proceedings.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Regardless, Gladden naturally did the right thing every time.
From Salon • Jan. 21, 2025
Mr Gladden died at home earlier on Wednesday.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2024
Bill Gladden, from Haverhill, Suffolk, was serving with the 6th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment in 1944.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2024
“Mr. Fargo and his daughter are our guests at Gladden Hall,” he told her.
From The Valiants of Virginia by Rives, Hallie Erminie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
