1
as in joy
a feeling or state of well-being and contentment
felt nothing but gladness at seeing her best friend beat her out for the award
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contentment
the feeling experienced when one's wishes are met
the children's gladness was evident as they opened their Christmas presents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gladness
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
—
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Hazel shrugged, but Lilian could see her gladness at being asked.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Over time in Middle English, myrth(e) narrowed to mean joy, amusement, or gladness, often expressed in laughter and festivity.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Hazel shrugged, but Lilian could see her gladness at being asked.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Over time in Middle English, myrth(e) narrowed to mean joy, amusement, or gladness, often expressed in laughter and festivity.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladness
Noun
-
The service The staff here are ever so kind, and bound by the same joy and passion for food and nature as the people that visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Pain and joy, an equal balancing, a vying bright anguish of the two.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
In a world that constantly demands more output, chiropractic offers a disciplined return to function that reminds us that removing interference rather than adding complexity allows contentment to enter our lives.—
Sherry McAllister,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Miller knelt down in the middle of it all with a wry look of contentment.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
There is an alarming decline in youth happiness and the rise in anxiety and depression, especially among young women, is tied to the central role technology plays in the lives of our youth.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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Giving people happiness is a nice thing in these sorts of times.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
To preserve the enjoyment factor, experts encourage admin daters to celebrate themselves and each other.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
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In order to be able to tap into that requires a level of joy and a spirit of enjoyment.—
Rachel Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
That’s just the beginning of the pleasures at this new Mar Vista favorite.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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Not every private pleasure needs to be translated into public value.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
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With so many of his friends and rivals stuck on shore, Botin acknowledged his lead in the standings didn’t give him the usual sense of satisfaction.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Developers are recognizing that social connection is a design decision that enhances resident satisfaction, community health and their own bottom lines.—
Jamie Gold,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.—
Ruyuan Li. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2026
-
The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
These delights have been a favorite of holiday parties for decades.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
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Padres left fielder Jase Bowen, a 2019 11th-round draft pick out of high school by the Pirates, got his first career hit in the seventh on a single to the delight of his friends and family.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladness. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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