glad Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of numerous plants of the genus Gladiolus native chiefly to tropical and South Africa having sword-shaped leaves and one-sided spikes of brightly colored funnel-shaped flowers; widely cultivated
    gladiolus; sword lily; gladiola.
  2. adjective showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
    • glad you are here
    • glad that they succeeded
    • gave a glad shout
    • a glad smile
    • heard the glad news
    • a glad occasion
  3. adjective satellite eagerly disposed to act or to be of service
    happy.
    • glad to help
  4. adjective satellite feeling happy appreciation
    • glad of the fire's warmth
  5. adjective satellite cheerful and bright
    beaming.
    • a beaming smile
    • a glad May morning

WordNet

Glad adjective
Etymology
AS. glæd bright, glad; akin to D. glad smooth, G. glatt, OHG. glat smooth, shining, Icel. glar glad, bright, Dan. & Sw. glad glad, Lith. glodas smooth, and prob. to L. glaber, and E. glide. Cf. Glabrous.
Wordforms
comparative Gladder ; superlative Gladdest
Definitions
  1. Pleased; joyous; happy; cheerful; gratified; -- opposed to sorry, sorrowful, or unhappy; -- said of persons, and often followed by of, at, that, or by the infinitive, and sometimes by with, introducing the cause or reason.
    A wise son maketh a glad father. Prov. x. 1.
    He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. Prov. xvii. 5.
    The Trojan, glad with sight of hostile blood. Dryden.
    He, glad of her attention gained. Milton.
    As we are now glad to behold your eyes. Shak.
    Glad am I that your highness is so armed. Shak.
  2. Wearing a gay or bright appearance; expressing or exciting joy; producing gladness; exhilarating.
    Her conversation More glad to me than to a miser money is. Sir P. Sidney.
    Glad evening and glad morn crowned the fourth day. Milton.
    Syn. -- Pleased; gratified; exhilarated; animated; delighted; happy; cheerful; joyous; joyful; cheering; exhilarating; pleasing; animating. -- Glad, Delighted, Gratified. Delighted expresses a much higher degree of pleasure than glad. Gratified always refers to a pleasure conferred by some human agent, and the feeling is modified by the consideration that we owe it in part to another. A person may be glad or delighted to see a friend, and gratified at the attention shown by his visits.
Glad transitive verb
Etymology
AS. gladian. See Glad, a., and cf. Gladden, v. t.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Gladded; present participle & verbal noun Gladding
Definitions
  1. To make glad; to cheer; to gladden; to exhilarate. Chaucer.
    That which gladded all the warrior train. Dryden.
    Each drinks the juice that glads the heart of man. Pope.
Glad intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be glad; to rejoice. Obs. Massinger.

Webster 1913