gladness

1 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 beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, happiness, joy, warm fuzziesRelated Words elatedness, elation, exhilaration, exultation, high, intoxication; ecstasy, euphoria, glory, heaven, nirvana, paradise, rapture, rapturousness, ravishment, seventh heaven, transport; delectation, delight, enjoyment, pleasure; cheer, cheerfulness, comfort, exuberance, gaiety (also gayety), gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, jocundity, jollity, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilance, jubilation, lightheartedness, merriness, mirth; content, contentedness, gratification, satisfaction, triumphNear Antonyms agony, anguish, desolation, joylessness, sorrow, sufferance, woe, woefulness; blues, cheerlessness, dejection, depression, desolateness, despondency, disheartenment, dispiritedness, doldrums, downheartedness, gloom, gloominess, melancholy, mournfulness, plaintiveness; Gehenna, hell, purgatoryAntonyms calamity, ill-being, misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness

2 the feeling experienced when one's wishes are met the children's gladness was evident as they opened their Christmas presents Synonyms content, contentedness, contentment, delectation, delight, enjoyment, pleasure, gratification, happiness, relish, satisfactionRelated Words afterglow; bliss, felicity, glee, gleefulness, joy, pleasance; amusement, diversion, entertainment; elatedness, elation, exhilaration, exultation, intoxication; ecstasy, euphoria, heaven, rapture; cheer, cheerfulness, exuberance, gaiety (also gayety), jollity, joyfulness, jubilation; joie de vivre; comfort, ease, restfulnessNear Antonyms misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness; anguish, desolation, joylessness, sorrow, woe; dejection, depression, despondency, dispiritedness, gloom, melancholy; aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritation, pique, vexation; anger, fury, rage; agitation, distress, disturbance, upset; discomfort, restlessness, uneasinessAntonyms discontent, discontentedness, discontentment, displeasure, dissatisfaction, unhappiness