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
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Recent Examples of gladness
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
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladness
Noun
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There was a spirit of abundance and joy, too; that can’t be remiss.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
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The winning animal photos of the 2025 International Pet Photography Awards are a heartwarming, playful and artistic look at the animals that live among us, providing joy as pets.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Was this what some people called analytic contentment?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Students find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning in daily interactions and major discoveries.—
Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Advertisement The American Dream—the promise of happiness and financial success through hard work—has, of course, never truly been attainable to all.—
Alice Lassman,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
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And though Bezos hasn’t bought Vogue for his new bride as was reported for a while, and the two did reportedly sign a prenup, none of that seems to be affecting their current happiness.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And that robbed the viewing experience of some enjoyment.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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In a culture that emphasizes saving face and meeting expectations, students were less motivated by curiosity or enjoyment and more by fear of letting others down.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The world’s longstanding fixation with blowjobs is arguably a function of our other longstanding fixation with pleasing cisgender men, but as our understanding of gender, sexuality, and pleasure itself has become more expansive, so, too, has our knowledge of blowjobs.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
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For those focused on track time rather than pleasure drives in the country, Ferrari offers the Assetto Fiorano specification, which is about 66 pounds lighter thanks to extensive use of composite materials such as carbon fiber and titanium.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Explain that rest and recharge time directly contributes to better performance, creativity, and job satisfaction.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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Apple has lost its spot atop a long-running study of customer satisfaction in computers to one of its older Silicon Valley neighbors.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That’s the way Fleur looks at Julian in real life too — adoring and feverishly in love, so when Fleur announces that the pair are getting married over dinner with friends, everyone responds with joy and delight.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
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Suddenly, and to the great delight of both Anna and her fellow AC, Ryan (John Early), there’s some real juicy drama in the Junction.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The content drew attention to the country’s inequality by contrasting the lives of the children of the country’s elite – with designer clothing and foreign vacations – with images of Nepali migrant workers returning home in coffins from dangerous jobs abroad.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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But, at a time when loneliness among young people is at an all-time high, the popularity of chatbots may leave young people uniquely exposed to manipulation, harmful content, and hyper-personalized conversations that reinforce dangerous thoughts.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gladness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladness. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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