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
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
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
Noun
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Since then, the daycare owner and child care educator has spent more than two decades training teachers and caregivers to infuse children with a sense of joy and appreciation for Black culture.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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In the face of oppression and cynicism, kindness and joy are revolutionary acts.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Despite their questionable politics, something about the Millers’ wholesome, Christian contentment strikes a chord with Rue.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
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There was no sign of contentment.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Apple TV‘s Pluribus is described as a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.—
Scott Huver,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
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Over the course of his expansive career, the Oscar-winning actor has filled his years with all sorts of twists and turns that have led him to cinematic success and happiness at home with wife Susan and their family.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Moon moves through your 5th House of Creativity, bringing energy toward expression and enjoyment.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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The platform also accommodates mobile properties such as boats and recreational vehicles, where operational knowledge plays a significant role in both safety and enjoyment.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The songs are contextualized a little and, among other gentle pleasures, Kole and Galante explore a little of the structural complexity of Bacharach’s constantly shape-shifting music, an outlier among pop compositions and indicative of the composer’s technical genius.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Opening on Thursday, April 23 at Studio 54 in New York City, this starry production leans fully into the show's campy pleasures, delivering plenty of laughs, strong performances and visual flair.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But for me, the satisfaction was being a member of that ’85 team.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
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The network discontinued its long-standing school report cards, which had provided leaders with an objective measure of their schools’ quality, including not only student outcomes but also staff and student satisfaction.—
Steven F. Wilson,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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With that, Burch invited Wintour, her longtime friend, the chief content officer of Condé Nast, and Vogue’s global editorial director, to accept her award.—
Jenna Adrian-Diaz,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The attention-grabbing look marked the beginning of Rihanna’s continuing run of fashion dominance at the event, going big every time, to the delight of fashion lovers.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
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In contrast to typical airline food drowning in salt and sauces, the culinary offerings aboard Aero are a delight, with meals created in partnership with Erewhon, Spago, Parm, Sadelle’s and Flora Farms along with an open bar of top-shelf spirits and Veuve Clicquot champagne.—
Beth Landman,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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