GLADDEN Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

gladden

verb

ˈgla-dᵊn

Definition of gladden

as in to delight

to give satisfaction to it would gladden me to hear you sing again

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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 gladden But there’s something reliably gladdening about sitting down with a warm bowl that promises to nourish. — Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2025 But there’s something genuinely gladdening to take away from this inquiry into the modern media. — Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 18 Feb. 2023 The word from Washington is sure to gladden the Newsom campaign. — Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2021 Even a dead beaver, with its buck teeth sticking out of its decomposing skull, seemed to gladden Balken. — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021 That turnaround is sure to gladden the hearts of Republicans, who have no hope of controlling the White House without Texas. — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladden

Verb

Each piece is a little bit of the earth itself, molded to a shape that fits easily in the hand, baked to achieve permanence and then stacked, one atop another, to form a wall that can enclose, shelter and delight us.

— Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Always popular, coral bells delight with bright blooms and fast-growing leaves that hide fading bulbs.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of delight

Verb

Experts warn that catastrophes like this are likely to happen again because rising temperatures in the Himalayas, which are warming faster than the global average, destabilize the region's 60,000 glaciers and trigger more avalanches.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
And the planet continues to warm, allowing these pathogens to spread to more and more farms all over the world, including in the US.

— Dylan Scott, Vox, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of warm

Verb

Horgan ended up incorporating some of those videos—AI slop of dogs blowing up houses with laser beam eyes, for instance—which amused Murphy.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
Students were especially amused that AI had John Singer, who acts as a hub connecting all the other characters, speaking on a variety of subjects.

— Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of amuse

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gladded

gladden

gladdened

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“Gladden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladden. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of gladden

verb

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