gladden
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See cheer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has gladdenedperfect 3rd person singular
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have gladdenedperfect
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are gladdeningprogressive
-
has been gladdeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am gladdeningprogressive 1st person singular
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gladdenssingular 3rd person
-
gladdeningparticiple
-
is gladdeningprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been gladdeningperfect progressive
Past
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had gladdenedperfect
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had been gladdeningperfect progressive
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were gladdeningprogressive plural
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was gladdeningprogressive singular
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gladdenedparticiple
-
gladdenedsimple
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.
Sentiments to gladden the hearts of Ukrainian diplomats and days after President Zelenksy's appeal, dozens of hopeful volunteers headed to the Ukrainian embassy in Abuja, with ambitions of enlisting.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2022
The word from Washington is sure to gladden the Newsom campaign.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2021
The little I’ve heard about Bloomberg will not gladden the hearts of his campaign advisers.
From Washington Post • Feb. 27, 2020
The modest two-story, 1950s building used to be a neighborhood bank, and it still looks it, blending right into a raucous, fine-grained urban melee that would gladden the heart of Jane Jacobs.
From New York Times • Jun. 28, 2018
Only a letter bearing news of his return would gladden her, and she would celebrate his homecoming with all the ceremony of a holiday or saint’s festival.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
