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
  • Booze, black pepper, and leather accords give the note a sultry, noir bend, while white musks and soft florals transform vanilla into something comforting and cocooning.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
  • An improbable preparation that somehow manages to be immediately familiar and comforting, this cheeseburger fried rice is a little peek into all the fun going down at Agnes and Sherman in Houston, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2026.
    — Nick Wong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of comforting
Verb
  • Use them as a crowd-pleasing topper for a hearty winter salad with pomegranate, kale, fennel, and walnuts.
    — Christina Manian, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Wrestlers having legitimate issues backstage has led to multiple feuds that people-pleasing AEW President Tony Khan could not control.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of pleasing
Adjective
  • While this figure appears to add a bright spot to an otherwise weak employment report, the underlying cause is far from encouraging.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • At safety, Chamarri Conner and Alohi Gilman are the starters, and Jaden Hicks has had an encouraging preseason.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • Remmick, Jimmy Crystal and Larry Lamb share an unrelenting desire to entertain, whether performing music outside a juke joint, indulging amusement with graphic violence or delighting the British reading public with scandal and drama.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The developers masterfully introduce these wrinkles in each world, giving players a chance to master them, while also delighting players with amazing levels, where Emi faces the unexpected.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of delighting
Adjective
  • The most rewarding part has been witnessing the power of Manoj and Boman – two giants of cinema – working together for the first time in this film.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • This provides a ton of flexibility for progression, and feels extremely rewarding for painting units together – and directly ties into that narrative sense of camaraderie that builds as well.
    — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of rewarding
Verb
  • Before sending any money, make sure the document specifies the total settlement amount, when each payment is due and that satisfying those terms will resolve the remaining balance as agreed.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Capcom is emphasizing satisfying swordplay and a more traditional action-adventure structure.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of satisfying
Adjective
  • But having something to look forward to can make the transition smoother and more fulfilling.
    — Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Her story serves as a promise that there are no borders for love, and that living in harmony with others is both natural and fulfilling.
    — Margaret Rogers, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 2026
Definition of fulfilling
Verb
  • The catastrophe follows similar floods last year and underscores how a rapidly warming Himalaya — with faster glacier melt and extreme weather — is turning vital river corridors into deadly hazard zones.
    — Niranjan Shrestha, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Many temperate and boreal regions that anchor industrial fiber production are warming faster than the global average.
    — Kari Stoever, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All