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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
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Gathering in the heart of the Golden Triangle turns Juneteenth into both a public history lesson and a street‑level celebration of Black joy.
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Foreigners are visiting the United States, having fun, finding joy in the ridiculousness of American abundance and telling the internet about it.
Noun
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But do all this with the knowledge of what brings you contentment—and start charting your course now.
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Barefoot in jeans and a T-shirt, the rock legend is the picture of contentment as waves ripple through the pool behind him from a breeze off the Atlantic.
Noun
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By the end of the morning, happiness had moved through every neighborhood in the hospital.
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Simon Cowell's fiancée, Lauren Cowell, is revealing the secret to his happiness.
Noun
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Shoppers are reading labels, asking harder questions, and rewarding products that deliver both enjoyment and genuine function.
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The visual accompaniment to the president’s promise of national enjoyment showed two multistory stone arcades running down the length of the Mall—very classical, very retvrn—thronged with crowds.
Noun
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Now in its 38th edition, the annual issue is a record of the highest expressions of craft, ingenuity, creativity, pleasure, and wonder across 15 categories and from around the globe.
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One is about civic commonality, the other about authoritarian cynicism; one is about a city pulling together around a common pleasure, the other about desecrating the decorum of democracy.
Noun
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Many retirement plans provide access to financial education to help employees make informed decisions about saving, investing and planning for retirement – ideally resulting in greater employee satisfaction and productivity.
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Homer approves equally of the man’s satisfactions and the woman’s chastity.
Noun
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This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
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Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
Noun
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Creamy, saucy, cheesy, and hearty, this recipe is a true delight.
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And Pizza Hut added Detroit-style pizza to its menu as a limited edition in early 2021, much to the delight of some customers.
Cite this Entry
“Gladness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladness. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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