as in to delight
to give satisfaction to
it would gladden me to hear you sing again
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Recent Examples of gladden
But there’s something reliably gladdening about sitting down with a warm bowl that promises to nourish.
—
Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2025
But there’s something genuinely gladdening to take away from this inquiry into the modern media.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 18 Feb. 2023
The quick-change, prop-heavy musical skit brings to the stage, briefly, staples from that classic variety show that will gladden the hearts of TV nostalgists: acrobats, plate spinners, jugglers, the Rockettes, the Vienna Boys Choir, Liberace and even the mouse puppet Topo Gigio.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
The word from Washington is sure to gladden the Newsom campaign.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2021
Even a dead beaver, with its buck teeth sticking out of its decomposing skull, seemed to gladden Balken.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
The Concorde will gladden the hearts of record buffs.
—J. A. Maxtone Graham, Popular Mechanics, 24 Sep. 2020
That turnaround is sure to gladden the hearts of Republicans, who have no hope of controlling the White House without Texas.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2020
Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2025
But there’s something genuinely gladdening to take away from this inquiry into the modern media.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 18 Feb. 2023
The quick-change, prop-heavy musical skit brings to the stage, briefly, staples from that classic variety show that will gladden the hearts of TV nostalgists: acrobats, plate spinners, jugglers, the Rockettes, the Vienna Boys Choir, Liberace and even the mouse puppet Topo Gigio.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
The word from Washington is sure to gladden the Newsom campaign.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2021
Even a dead beaver, with its buck teeth sticking out of its decomposing skull, seemed to gladden Balken.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
The Concorde will gladden the hearts of record buffs.
—J. A. Maxtone Graham, Popular Mechanics, 24 Sep. 2020
That turnaround is sure to gladden the hearts of Republicans, who have no hope of controlling the White House without Texas.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladden
Verb
-
The ball circled the rim twice before dropping on Friday night, delighting Duke and its fans and crushing LSU.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bathrooms are smartly designed to fit large shower-baths into a relatively compact space; tiling is dark and mirrored with pleasing gold accents.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The ex-governor, who was recalled in 2003 and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, acknowledged his comments won’t please Democrats worried about the party’s large field splintering support, resulting in two Republicans advancing to the November runoff.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That explanation did not satisfy the project’s critics.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Keown added that restaurants are offering multiple types of pizza to satisfy a growing range of customer demands.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Winds will be light and skies will be mostly sunny, allowing highs to warm into the upper 70s from Palo Alto to San Jose, with a few 80 degree readings scattered throughout.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In a frying pan, over medium heat, warm the butter.—
Georgeanne Brennan,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Someone had stashed a film camera in an apartment high above the plaza, capturing a scene of rowdy onlookers feasting on sausage sandwiches and uncorking bottles of wine as—after a series of delays—the blade dropped on Weidmann’s nape.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The population is still threatened by urbanization, insecticides and non-native fire ants that feast on the eggs and babies.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Social media reactions to the bunny range from enamored to amused to annoyed at the price tag, which runs from $112 to $140.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Is she amused or angered or saddened by this?—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladden. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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