gladly

American  

[glad-lee] / ˈglæd li /

adverb

1. with happiness, pleasure, or delight; joyfully.

   Thank you for your friendship, which I gladly accept.

2. willingly and readily.

   I will gladly die defending the honor of my fallen brothers.

---

Etymology

Origin of gladly

glad ¹ ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

If you're more than willing to do something, you'll do it gladly, with enthusiasm. Most people will gladly accept free passes to an amusement park. You can offer something gladly: "I'll gladly give you a ride to the movies tonight." And you can also receive something gladly, with gratitude: "I gladly accept this award on behalf of all the fire jugglers that came before me!" Gladly comes from glad and its root, ghel-, which means "to shine," as in shining with happiness or being radiant with joy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gladly

If you’re invested for a longer bull run, that is a gift you should gladly accept.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

In Houston, the Space Center has a space-shuttle replica but would gladly make room for Discovery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

Kim "gladly" met and "warmly" welcomed Lukashenko at the start of the two-day visit, the Korean Central News Agency reported, which followed a meeting last year in Beijing.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, when asked about the tariffs, said, “We’ll review the resolution carefully and then gladly give our opinion.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026

But Jasper said only, “When I have learned skills worthy of my Masters here and worthy of your praise, my lady, then I will gladly come, and serve you ever gladly.”

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• cheerfully
• cheerily
• cordially
• enthusiastically
• freely
• gleefully
• gratefully
• heartily
• readily
• warmly
• willingly