glad

¹ American  

[glad] / glæd /

adjective

gladder, gladdest

1. feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased: glad that you are here.

   glad about the good news;

   glad that you are here.

   Synonyms:

   contented, elated

   Antonyms:

   sad

2. accompanied by or causing joy or pleasure: glad tidings.

   a glad occasion;

   glad tidings.

   Antonyms:

   sad

3. characterized by or showing cheerfulness, joy, or pleasure, as looks or utterances.

   Synonyms:

   cheery, happy, cheerful, joyful, joyous, merry

   Antonyms:

   sad

4. very willing.

   I'll be glad to give him your message.

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verb (used with object)

gladded, gladding

1. Archaic. to make glad.

glad ² American  

[glad] / glæd /

noun

1. gladiolus.

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glad ¹ British  

/ ɡlæd /

adjective

1. happy and pleased; contented

2. causing happiness or contentment

3. very willing

   he was glad to help

4. happy or pleased to have

   glad of her help

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verb

1. an archaic word for gladden

glad ² British  

/ ɡlæd /

noun

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

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glad Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing glad

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

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Other Word Forms

• gladly adverb
• gladness noun

Etymology

Origin of glad¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English glæd; cognate with Old Norse glathr “bright, glad,” Dutch glad, German glatt “smooth”; akin to Latin glaber “smooth”

Origin of glad²

First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening

Explanation

Glad is how you feel when you hear that something nice happened to someone you care about, or when you learn you got an A on that test you studied so hard for. It means happy or pleased. Glad doesn't quite mean jumping for joy — it's more a state of contentment and pleasure. You're glad to hear from an old friend who calls you out of the blue and glad to meet your friendly new neighbors. Glad can also mean "eagerly willing" so you might say, "I'll be glad to taste test those brownies for you!" The Old English source is glæd, "gleaming, joyous, or gracious."

Example Sentences

He’s glad the numbers for this are getting better: 19% of people surveyed have a healthcare proxy, up from 15% last year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

As a filmmaker and as a fan, I admired what he did and was glad he was going through the struggle to accomplish these things.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

On Monday she said: "I cannot discuss the terms of the settlement, but generally I am glad that my employer has finally decided to extend an olive branch to me."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

We’re glad the Administration is trying to make it easier to hire guest workers, but how about making the case to voters that the country needs legal immigrants for vital jobs that drive the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“That’s all right. I figured something must’ve come up. I’m just glad you’re here now.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• cheerful
• contented
• joyful
• overjoyed
• pleased
• willing