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
Three people had been treated for injuries at the local hospital, Ms Gladden said in a statement.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025
Mr Nixon died in the same week as D-Day veteran Bill Gladden, of nearby Haverhill, who passed away on Wednesday, aged 100.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2024
Another American who has risen high in the Hungarian firmament is Gladden Pappin, president of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2024
Sons of freedom, on to glory Go, where brave men do or die, Let your names in future story Gladden every patriot’s eye; ’Tis your country calls you, hasten!
From Songs and Ballads of the Southern People 1861-1865 by Anonymous
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.
