glee

noun

1
: exultant high-spirited joy : merriment
dancing with glee
2
: a part-song for usually male voices

Examples of glee in a Sentence

They were dancing with glee. He could hardly contain his glee over his victory.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As the country’s friends have looked on in horror and its rivals have watched with glee, the United States has gone from indispensable to insufferable. Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 The crowd stood up and with nervous laughter streamed toward the lobby, then galloped into the street with the glee of prisoners released. Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025 But that won’t matter to this Supreme Court, which has demonstrated a certain glee in dismantling precedent. James Thomas Snyder, Mercury News, 24 May 2025 Echard, the star of The Bachelor's 26th season, could not contain his glee in a video shared across his social media accounts. Shania Russell, EW.com, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for glee

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English glēo entertainment, music; akin to Old Norse glȳ joy, and perhaps to Greek chleuē joke

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glee was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Glee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glee. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

glee

noun
1
: high-spirited joy
2
: an unaccompanied song for three or more voices
gleeful
-fəl
adjective
gleefully
-fə-lē
adverb
gleefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on glee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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