as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor
the gleeful atmosphere that envelops the host city of the Super Bowl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 gleeful
The Masked Singer is a gleeful, genuinely unexpected addition to the reality singing genre, and its popularity with fans is intense.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Her gleeful cruelty was matched only by the audacity of her incompetence.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Their wonky New Orleans bounce ideas, their mellow Jersey club hits, hell, even the gleeful beatjacking across their mixtapes, are all so thrilling and open to possibility compared to the practically conservative rage rap on wonderful.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Artists who speak out against this use also typically wind up spawning a gleeful response from the admin, usually filled with lots of half-baked wordplay.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gleeful
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Her gleeful cruelty was matched only by the audacity of her incompetence.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Their wonky New Orleans bounce ideas, their mellow Jersey club hits, hell, even the gleeful beatjacking across their mixtapes, are all so thrilling and open to possibility compared to the practically conservative rage rap on wonderful.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Artists who speak out against this use also typically wind up spawning a gleeful response from the admin, usually filled with lots of half-baked wordplay.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gleeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gleeful
Adjective
-
These are the chapters that feature the merry trickster of the forest, Tom Bombadil, a classic fiddle-dee-dee-mischief type who waylays the hobbits at the onset of their quest.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In Don’t Get High, an alpha dork and her merry gang of dweebs start an anti-drug group at their high school to make friends and influence people.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, even for me there were still some jolly moments.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Vivacious Mars dances with jolly Jupiter, energizing your 6th House of Practice and your 10th House of Ambition.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Both will feel at home and have large South Florida fan followings, which will make for a festive atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Ahead of the Phillies' Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park, there's a festive atmosphere at Victus Sports.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The less cheerful part of all this is that Great America is unlikely to celebrate a 52nd birthday.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
For generations of Valley families, this scene has unfolded at Castles N' Coasters, a cheerful outpost of fun in the desert that lives in nearly everyone's memory.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gleeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gleeful. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
