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Synonyms

gleeful

American  
[glee-fuhl] / ˈgli fəl /

adjective

  1. full of exultant joy; merry; delighted.

gleeful British  
/ ˈɡliːfʊl /

adjective

  1. full of glee; merry

"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 Word Forms

  • gleefully adverb
  • gleefulness noun
  • ungleeful adjective

Etymology

Origin of gleeful

First recorded in 1580–90; glee 1 + -ful

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.

Sarah smiled, her eyes so gleeful they sparkled like water in sunlight.

From Literature

Hanson let out a gleeful howl when he found one rising 2 feet above his head, representing 2 feet of growth every year since the KNP Complex fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Her gleeful cruelty was matched only by the audacity of her incompetence.

From Los Angeles Times

And yes, all of this would be nitpicking, given the series’ gleeful disregard for verisimilitude.

From The Wall Street Journal

She whirled on me, full of gleeful triumph.

From Literature

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.