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glad1

[glad]
adjective, glad·der, glad·dest.
  1. feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased: glad about the good news; glad that you are here.
  2. accompanied by or causing joy or pleasure: a glad occasion; glad tidings.
  3. characterized by or showing cheerfulness, joy, or pleasure, as looks or utterances.
  4. very willing: I'll be glad to give him your message.
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verb (used with object), glad·ded, glad·ding.
  1. Archaic. to make glad.
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Origin of glad1

before 900; Middle English; Old English glæd; cognate with Old Norse glathr bright, glad, Dutch glad, German glatt smooth; akin to Latin glaber smooth
Related formsglad·ly, adverbglad·ness, noun

Synonyms

1. elated, gratified, contented. 3. merry, joyous, joyful, cheerful, happy, cheery.

Antonyms

1–3. sad.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

overjoyed, contented, pleased, cheerful, willing, joyful, cheering, pleasing, sparkling, gay, rejoicing, animated, beaming, beautiful, blithesome, bright, cheery, felicitous, genial, gleeful

Examples from the Web for gladder

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • I remained still—sadder, gladder than I had ever been before.

    The First Violin

    Jessie Fothergill

  • I am the gladder of it, as perhaps I may get the benefit of his advice occasionally.

  • Finally: "Yes, you do; and I'm gladder of that than you will ever know."

    Masters of Space

    Edward Elmer Smith

  • I'm sure there is, and I'm gladder to see you two people than can possibly be expressed.

    The Galaxy Primes

    Edward Elmer Smith

  • Of course we're gladder to see her than she could be to see us, because she's mamma, and we're only just the children!

    Cricket at the Seashore

    Elizabeth Westyn Timlow

British Dictionary definitions for gladder

glad1

adjective gladder or gladdest
  1. happy and pleased; contented
  2. causing happiness or contentment
  3. (postpositive foll by to) very willinghe was glad to help
  4. (postpositive foll by of) happy or pleased to haveglad of her help
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verb glads, gladding or gladded
  1. an archaic word for gladden
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Derived Formsgladly, adverbgladness, noun

Word Origin

Old English glǣd; related to Old Norse glathr, Old High German glat smooth, shining, Latin glaber smooth, Lithuanian glodùs fitting closely

glad2

noun
  1. informal short for gladiolus Also called (Austral): gladdie (ˈɡlædɪ)
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gladder

glad

adj.

Old English glæd "bright, shining, joyous," from Proto-Germanic *glada- (cf. Old Norse glaðr "smooth, bright, glad," Danish glad "glad, joyful," Old Saxon gladmod "glad," Old Frisian gled "smooth," Dutch glad "slippery," German glatt "smooth"), from PIE *ghel- "to shine" (see glass). The modern sense is much weakened. Slang glad rags "one's best clothes" first recorded 1902.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with gladder

glad

In addition to the idioms beginning with glad

  • glad hand
  • glad rags

also see:

  • give someone the once-over (glad eye)
  • not suffer fools gladly
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.