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

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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
  • Choose one small goal, keep it affordable, and let joy build through action.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Thank you for the memories, the friendship, and for bringing joy to generations of fans.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of joy
Noun
  • Being alone and posting about her journey ultimately helped Hoadley find contentment in her life.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Ogwumike in the interview also expressed contentment with the state of women’s basketball.
    — Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of contentment
Noun
  • Gunter, a 14-year client, expresses his happiness at seeing the store reopen after its move from Northlake Mall.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But the happiness Derrick Moore brought to others persists inside that home.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of happiness
Noun
  • Don’t let the pressure of a specific end goal cloud your enjoyment of the ride.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But the combat happens in short spurts, allowing a fair amount of downtime for recuperation, conversation and enjoyment of the sport.
    — Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoyment
Noun
  • Bad as this world feels, there’s still pleasure in making art.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The speaker of the House appoints the House parliamentarian; the Senate parliamentarian serves at the pleasure of the secretary of the Senate, who is elected by senators at the start of each Congress.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pleasure
Noun
  • United are closing in on a signing that looks set to lift their summer business to a status of satisfaction.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The study, based on 2,991 travelers, found that while many use lounges to escape crowds, severe overcrowding drastically reduces satisfaction.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of satisfaction
Noun
  • As for Apple, Amazon and Sony, all three companies have strong technology businesses in addition to theatrical and streaming content, which may align nicely with Imax's tech-heavy business.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The law is aimed at prohibiting children from obtaining books and movies with obscene content.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of content
Noun
  • Cask-finished whiskey has been released by many other distilleries, but as mentioned above, this year marks the first time that Four Roses has entered the category, to the delight of some whiskey drinkers and the chagrin of others.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice delight as academic opposites in this quick-witted, big-hearted and genuinely youthful-feeling British charmer.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 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 30 Aug. 2026.

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