gladness

noun

Definition of gladnessnext
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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladness
  1. joy
  2. contentment
  3. happiness
  4. enjoyment
  5. pleasure
  6. satisfaction
  7. content
  8. delight
Noun
  • The joy of being in DTLA is proximity to transit, putting Santa Monica, Pasadena, and everywhere in between within easy reach without necessarily needing Ubers or a rental car.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • What’s made this franchise so beloved has been its willingness to go on that journey with its young characters, maturing and deepening and changing without losing that initial childlike sense of hope and joy.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of joy
Noun
  • Yet as related here in the low-key delivery of someone who not just survived but lived to be 101 years old, Jaku was able to enjoy the love, peace, contentment and security he was denied in his youth.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Straits of Florida glisten and the sun leaves a feeling of hazy contentment.
    — Oliver Wu, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of contentment
Noun
  • Still, some royal observers don’t think their happiness will last.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The happiness was real, for a time, but the two artists, each with his own distinct problems and needs, were not going to be happy together, or with anyone else, for long.
    — Alan Hollinghurst, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of happiness
Noun
  • Starting with a scene that feels real and looks real lets McKeown get away with what is otherwise a silly creature feature, elongated but never past the point of enjoyment.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment.
    — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoyment
Noun
  • His ambition is mostly to lure new customers — including the #BookTok generation — off their screens and into the stores to experience the IRL pleasures of book shopping.
    — Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Your work has long played with pleasure, kink and the tension between what is proper and what is provocative — from your infamous jockstraps to the recent patent leather groom who closed the recent men’s show in Milan.
    — Tyler Matthew Oyer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of pleasure
Noun
  • During execution, every detail matters and there is real satisfaction in watching the pieces come together and helping translate a founder’s hopes and dreams into reality.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Innova also associates afternoon snacking specifically with satisfaction, while other dayparts lean toward refreshment or indulgence.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of satisfaction
Noun
  • Over the last two years, no Spanish company has helped drive Spanish content onto the world stage more than Movistar Plus, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD operator.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Her content often addresses wardrobe pivots, thrifting and managing dynamic sizing.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of content
Noun
  • The more these three play together, the more the emotional register of their music keeps breaching into delight.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Even Jeff, post-premiere, has been a delight, just kind of letting the game play out and not foisting metaphors upon us at Tribal Council.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of delight

Browse Nearby Words

gladly
gladness
glad rags
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Cite this Entry

“Gladness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladness. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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