gladly

American  

[glad-lee] / ˈglæd li /

adverb

1. with happiness, pleasure, or delight; joyfully.

   Thank you for your friendship, which I gladly accept.

2. willingly and readily.

   I will gladly die defending the honor of my fallen brothers.

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Etymology

Origin of gladly

glad ¹ ( def. ) + -ly

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

"I would gladly subscribe to Meta One, but only if it genuinely offers unlimited access."

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

So when my wife, Julie, and I were invited to Long Island for the ordination of a son of close friends, we gladly accepted—even though we didn’t really know the ropes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Kim "gladly" met and "warmly" welcomed Lukashenko at the start of the two-day visit, the Korean Central News Agency reported, which followed a meeting last year in Beijing.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

That was unlike stars such as Betty White or William Shatner, who gladly played into the mocking of their personas and propelled themselves into second careers in the process.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

“Of course. When I’m available, I’ll gladly attend you.”

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Related Words

• cheerfully
• cheerily
• cordially
• enthusiastically
• freely
• gleefully
• gratefully
• heartily
• readily
• warmly
• willingly