Gladness — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈglad/

Meaning & Definition of Gladness

Gladness (adjective)

  1. experiencing pleasure, joy, or delight, made happy
  2. very willing
  3. made pleased, satisfied, or grateful —often used with of

Gladness (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  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"

    similar: beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, happiness, joy, warm fuzzies
    related: 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, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, jocundity, jollity, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilance, jubilation, lightheartedness, merriness, mirth, content, contentedness, gratification, satisfaction, triumph
    opposite: calamity, ill-being, misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness
    near: 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, purgatory

  2. the feeling experienced when one's wishes are met

    "the children's gladness was evident as they opened their Christmas presents"

    similar: content, contentedness, contentment, delectation, delight, enjoyment, gratification, happiness, pleasure, relish, satisfaction
    related: afterglow, bliss, felicity, glee, gleefulness, joy, pleasance, amusement, diversion, entertainment, elatedness, elation, exhilaration, exultation, intoxication, ecstasy, euphoria, heaven, rapture, cheer, cheerfulness, exuberance, gaiety, jollity, joyfulness, jubilation, joie de vivre, comfort, ease, restfulness
    opposite: discontent, discontentedness, discontentment, displeasure, dissatisfaction, unhappiness
    near: 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, uneasiness

Related Entry: Glad (adjective)

Glad is a different word from Gladness. The synonyms below are for glad, not for gladness.

  1. experiencing pleasure, satisfaction, or delight

    "the man was glad to see his old college buddies again, after so long an absence"

    similar: blissful, chuffed (British), delighted, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, thankful, tickled
    related: beaming, blithe, blithesome, buoyant, cheerful, cheery, gay, gladsome, lighthearted, sunny, upbeat, gleeful, jocund, jolly, jovial, laughing, merry, mirthful, smiling, beatific, ecstatic, elated, enraptured, entranced, euphoric, exhilarated, intoxicated, rapturous, rhapsodic, exuberant, exultant, jubilant, rapt, rejoicing, thrilled, hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine
    opposite: displeased, dissatisfied, joyless, sad, unhappy, unpleased, unsatisfied
    near: abject, aggrieved, anguished, blue, brokenhearted, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, downcast, downhearted, forlorn, melancholy, doleful, dolorous, lachrymose, mournful, plaintive, sorrowful, sorry, woeful, black, dark, desolate, dispirited, gloomy, glum, gray, grieved, heartbroken, heartsick, miserable, woebegone, wretched

  2. having a desire or inclination (as for a specified course of action)

    "I am glad to do the work if it will help the cause"

    similar: amenable, disposed, fain, game, inclined, minded, ready, willing
    related: predisposed, prone, accommodating, agreeable, compliant, cooperative, obedient, obliging, submissive, favorable, receptive, prepared, prompt, quick, responsive, swift, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited
    opposite: disinclined, unamenable, unwilling
    near: averse, loath, reluctant, reticent

  3. serving to lift one's spirits

    "doctors brought glad tidings to the reporters awaiting news of the queen's condition"

    similar: bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, gay
    related: gladdening, heartening, heartwarming, gleaming, radiant, sparkling
    opposite: bleak, cheerless, dark, depressing, dismal, dreary, gloomy, gray
    near: discouraging, disheartening, colorless, drab, dull, lackluster, lusterless, black, desolate, dispiriting

  4. feeling or expressing gratitude

    "she was glad of the offer of a ride home"

    similar: appreciative, appreciatory, grateful, obliged, thankful
    related: beholden, indebted, contented, delighted, gratified, pleased, satisfied, tickled, thanking
    opposite: inappreciative, thankless, unappreciative, ungrateful
    near: inhospitable, rude, thoughtless, ungracious

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Gladness

The most common words with a similar meaning to Gladness:

beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, happiness, joy, warm fuzzies, content, contentedness, contentment, delectation, delight, enjoyment, gratification, pleasure, relish, satisfaction

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Gladness

Words with the opposite meaning of Gladness:

calamity, ill-being, misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness, discontent, discontentedness, discontentment, displeasure, dissatisfaction

Related Words for Gladness

elatedness, elation, exhilaration, exultation, high, intoxication, ecstasy, euphoria, glory, heaven, nirvana, paradise, rapture, rapturousness, ravishment, seventh heaven, transport, cheer, cheerfulness, comfort, exuberance, gaiety, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, jocundity, jollity, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilance

Near Antonyms of Gladness

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, purgatory, aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritation

Word Forms of Gladness

Inflections: gladder, gladdest

Derived words: gladly (adverb), gladness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Gladness

Middle English, shining, glad, from Old English glæd; akin to Old High German glat shining, smooth, Latin glaber smooth, bald

First known use: before 12th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Gladness

What does "Gladness" mean?

"Gladness" means experiencing pleasure, joy, or delight, made happy. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: experiencing pleasure, joy, or delight, made happy. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Gladness"?

Other words for "Gladness" include beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, happiness, joy and warm fuzzies. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Gladness" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Gladness"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Gladness". Common alternatives include beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, happiness, joy, warm fuzzies, content and contentedness.

What is the opposite of "Gladness"?

Antonyms of "Gladness" include calamity, ill-being, misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness, discontent and discontentedness. Near antonyms include agony, anguish, desolation and joylessness.

How do you use "Gladness" in a sentence?

Examples of "Gladness" in a sentence: "felt nothing but gladness at seeing her best friend beat her out for the award"; "the children's gladness was evident as they opened their Christmas presents".

Is "Gladness" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Gladness" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Gladness"?

"Gladness" is pronounced /ˈglad/.

What is the origin of the word "Gladness"?

"Gladness" comes from Middle English, shining, glad, from Old English glæd; akin to Old High German glat shining, smooth, Latin glaber smooth, bald. First known use: before 12th century.