gleefully
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gleefully
First recorded in 1730–40; gleeful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
When you do something gleefully, you do it in an extremely happy way. If two kids call to each other gleefully across the playground, there's laughter and delight in their voices. Wedding guests might rush gleefully onto the dance floor when the DJ plays a popular song, and a child who is trick or treating for the first time will often gleefully dress in her ghost costume and even more gleefully watch her plastic pumpkin fill with Halloween candy. The adjective gleeful and related noun glee are at the root of gleefully, all of them sharing the Latin root word gliu, "entertainment, mirth, jest, or play."
Vocabulary lists containing gleefully
Achievement First 6th Grade IA 1 Words
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The Titan's Curse
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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.
It would be irresponsible not to say right off that “Alley Cats,” written and directed by the comedian Ricky Gervais, is so gleefully vulgar it could make a TV critic blush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Carlin would not be at all surprised that our children’s generation faces corporate heads gleefully replacing human workers with AI.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
In March, Grogu popped up at the Oscars and host Conan O’Brien pointed out that the gleefully waving puppet seated next to actress Kate Hudson lacked the ability to applaud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Not every crowd will gleefully applaud and cheer a known notorious villain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
She shouted gleefully, waving her fists like little clubs, and stomped around, glad to be on her feet again.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
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.
