gladdening 1 of 2

adjective

as in comforting
making one feel good inside the overdue change to warm, sunny weather is gladdening

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gladdening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of gladden
as in pleasing
to give satisfaction to it would gladden me to hear you sing again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladdening
  1. comforting
  2. pleasing
  3. encouraging
  4. delighting
  5. rewarding
  6. satisfying
  7. fulfilling
  8. warming
Adjective
  • For the industry, that’s probably not the most comforting insight.
    — Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
  • The comforting whistle of air sweeping in and out of my velvet horse nostrils lulls me right to sleep.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of comforting
Verb
  • Long-haul business-class menus are expansive, with a mix of unique Fijian dishes and crowd-pleasing standards.
    — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026
  • Use up the last of those fresh summer peaches on this crowd-pleasing fruit cobbler recipe that only calls for six ingredients.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Definition of pleasing
Adjective
  • Perhaps the most encouraging figure came outside the trophy end of the market.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • This is an encouraging result after weaker-than-expected FICC revenue last quarter was a big blemish on the January-to-March results.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • Buzz Lightyear and Woody have been delighting families for three decades.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The Dutch were the neutral’s favourites throughout World Cup 1974, their Total Football taking the game to a new level, and delighting supporters with their fluidity, high defensive line and commitment to keep on attacking.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of delighting
Adjective
  • Now, the most rewarding part, according to Leet, is being able to share the result of their hard work and outside-the-box thinking with her friends and family.
    — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • Encouraging permitting reform and rewarding communities that produce housing are worthwhile goals.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of rewarding
Verb
  • Paxton even distinctly remembers the duo satisfying a Big Mac craving after watching Supersize Me together.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
  • Installing peel-and-stick wallpaper is an excellent starter DIY that feels satisfying and packs a punch.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 13 July 2026
Definition of satisfying
Adjective
  • This trend exacerbates existing loneliness and isolation, transforming work from a community hub into a less fulfilling, individualistic experience.
    — Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Her aim is to reroute individuals from relying on the approval of the people and systems outside to instead deepening our relationships with ourselves and our community in ways that are more fulfilling.
    — Lorinda Toledo, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Definition of fulfilling
Verb
  • Temperatures are higher in part because the oceans have absorbed most of the extra heat trapped by planet-warming pollution from burning oil, gas and coal.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 22 July 2026
  • Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as quickly as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of warming
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.

Browse Nearby Words

gladdened
gladdening
gladdens
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gladdening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladdening. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gladdening

Nglish: Translation of gladdening for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All