glad

[ glad ]

/ glæd /

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See synonyms for: glad / gladly / gladness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, glad·der, glad·dest.

feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased: glad about the good news;glad that you are here.

accompanied by or causing joy or pleasure: a glad occasion;glad tidings.

characterized by or showing cheerfulness, joy, or pleasure, as looks or utterances.

very willing: I'll be glad to give him your message.

verb (used with object), glad·ded, glad·ding.

Archaic. to make glad.

OTHER WORDS FOR glad

1 elated, gratified, contented.

3 merry, joyous, joyful, cheerful, happy, cheery.

See synonyms for glad on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR glad

1-3 sad.

See antonyms for glad on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of glad

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English glæd; cognate with Old Norse glathr “bright, glad,” Dutch glad, German glatt “smooth”; akin to Latin glaber “smooth”

OTHER WORDS FROM glad

glad·ly, adverbglad·ness, noun

Other definitions for glad (2 of 2)

glad²

[ glad ]

/ glæd /

noun

gladiolus (def. 1).

Origin of glad

First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use glad in a sentence

The only thing that I’m saying is that those tests came at a time when the world didn’t have any tests, and we were damn glad to get them.
Hogan’s first batch of coronavirus tests from South Korea were flawed, never used|Steve Thompson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
I’m glad to be back with everybody and through those three weeks.
Cowboys QB Andy Dalton says covid-19 ‘hit me hard’ after concussion|Des Bieler|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Anyway, I’m glad to be walking through the woods with a purpose.
Mushroom Hunting at the End of the World|Danny Palumbo|November 12, 2020|Eater
I was glad that I had looked up the non-emergency number of the police in the city I was visiting before I left on my trip.
Hints From Heloise: A safe Thanksgiving probably won’t be a traditional one|Heloise Heloise|November 12, 2020|Washington Post

Some on the platform praised Brown, expressing how glad they were that he is “one of the good ones.”
Why People Are Mad at Alton Brown and Why Alton Brown Is Mad at Newsweek, Explained|Elazar Sontag|November 11, 2020|Eater
And in Augie March: “I expect happiness and gladness have always been the same.”
The Promise of Happiness After the Newtown Shooting|William Giraldi|January 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Happiness is the wrong word—it sets an outsized goal for itself the way gladness, contentment, and satisfaction simply do not.
The Promise of Happiness After the Newtown Shooting|William Giraldi|January 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And gladness and joy shall be taken away from Carmel, and there shall be no rejoicing nor shouting in the vineyards.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Then there is joy and gladness, and thanksgivings to God in a procession to the mountain of which I have spoken above.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
And the joy of her multitude shall be cut off: and her gladness shall be turned to mourning.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
She had never ceased to smile, but there was an expression of sudden fierce gladness in her eyes.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
The church of Smyrna celebrated the anniversary of their martyred bishops passion with joy and gladness as his natal day.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow

British Dictionary definitions for glad (1 of 2)

glad¹

/ (ɡlæd) /

adjective gladder or gladdest

happy and pleased; contented

causing happiness or contentment

(postpositive foll by to) very willinghe was glad to help

(postpositive foll by of) happy or pleased to haveglad of her help

verb glads, gladding or gladded

an archaic word for gladden

Derived forms of glad

gladly, adverbgladness, noun

Word Origin for glad

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

British Dictionary definitions for glad (2 of 2)

glad²

/ (ɡlæd) /

noun

informal short for gladiolus Also called (Austral): gladdie (ˈɡlædɪ)

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with glad

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

glad

OTHER WORDS FOR glad

OPPOSITES FOR glad

Origin of glad

OTHER WORDS FROM glad

Other definitions for glad (2 of 2)

Origin of glad

Words related to glad

How to use glad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for glad (1 of 2)

Derived forms of glad

Word Origin for glad

British Dictionary definitions for glad (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with glad