gladly
Americanadverb
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with happiness, pleasure, or delight; joyfully.
Thank you for your friendship, which I gladly accept.
-
willingly and readily.
I will gladly die defending the honor of my fallen brothers.
Etymology
Origin of gladly
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. President, I would gladly put a couple of my Wagyu on a plane to Washington and share a steak with you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
If the centrality of his creations in films like “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” and “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” didn’t prove that he was proud of his work, Harryhausen would gladly tell you himself.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Someone else might gladly accept four months of snow in exchange for everything Lancaster offers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
On a cloudy weekday morning last month, I visited San Juan Capistrano hoping to see the future of this country in a place gladly stuck in its past.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
I would gladly have heard more of her solemnity; but following her performance, the music ceased, the fire was banked up, and conversation became general.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
