as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor the gleeful atmosphere that envelops the host city of the Super Bowl

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gleeful There was a video of gleeful Orlando players dancing in the Chase Stadium visitors’ locker room. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025 Yet, conceptually, Crewe’s approach works: The gleeful overproduction only enhances the absurdity of Golden’s lyrics. Jeff Gage, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025 Some are matter-of-fact or even gleeful about their brutality. Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 The post was a joke, and perhaps an effective one, maximizing the distance between Studio Ghibli’s tender, bittersweet, profoundly human ethos and the gleeful, dehumanizing viciousness that is Trump’s stock-in-trade. Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for gleeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gleeful
Adjective
  • Will the market continue to trudge along its merry path?
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
  • This merry, hour-long holiday extravaganza will be stacked with gifts for Bravo fans and feature a number of Yuletide Bravolebrity performances.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Crosby released a number of tunes throughout his career that were made perfectly for the jolliest time of the year, and his wins are still coming his way, even decades after his passing.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Instead of its usual jolly cartoons, the channel began broadcasting footage of Russian military parades accompanied by music of the Russian nationalist singer Oleg Gazmanov.
    Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Her after-party look was fun, festive and feathered, and featured a low-cut back.
    Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 19 June 2025
  • When will fans find out the festive schedule is for their teams?
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • That sort of homey detail and Karl’s cheerful disposition belie the ghastly stories that her memory holds, the ones her guest has come to hear — and capture on film.
    Christine DiMattei, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
  • Hollis: Hollis is a cheerful name with a fun energy.
    Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gleeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gleeful. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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