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ing glad; pleasure; joyful satisfaction; cheerfulness. They . . . did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Acts ii. 46.

Orig., blithesomeness; gladness; now, the highest degree of happiness; blessedness; exalted felicity; heavenly joy. An then at last our bliss Full and perfect is. Milton.

Without joy, gladness, or comfort. -- Cheer"less*ly, adv. -- Cheer"less*ness, n. My cheerful day is turned to cheerles night. Spenser.

Gay; sportive; playful; frolicsome; merry. Shak. Gladness of the gamesome crowd. Byron. -- Game"some*ly, adv. -- Game"some*ness, n.

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.

Full of gladness; joyful; glad. [R.] -- Glad"ful*ness, n. [R.] Spenser. It followed him with gladful glee. Spenser.

A state of gladness. [Obs.] Gower.

Depriving of thought; ecstatic. "Heart-robbing gladness." Spenser.

od fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight. Her heavenly form beheld, all wished her joy. Dryden. Glides the smooth current of domestic joy. Johnson. Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame…

Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight; as, merry jest. "Merry wind and weather." Spenser. Merry dancers. See under Dancer. -- Merry men, followers; retainers. [Obs.] His merie men commanded he To make him bothe game and glee. Chaucer. -- To make merry, to be jovial; to indulge in hilarity; to feast with mirth.…

possession of; to hold or keep for use; to possess. Woe occupieth the fine [/end] of our gladness. Chaucer. The better apartments were already occupied. W. Irving .

To feel joy; to experience gladness in a high degree; to have pleasurable satisfaction; to be delighted. "O, rejoice beyond a common joy." Shak. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. Ps. xxxi. 7.

Joy; gladness; delight. We should particularly express our rejoicing by love and charity to our neighbors. R. Nelson.

eshings that repair his strength. Milton. Do thou, as thou art wont, repair My heart with gladness. Wordsworth.

ourteous; kind; as, soft eyes. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Prov. xv. 1. A face with gladness overspread, Soft smiles, by human kindness bred. Wordsworth.

first part of the compound; as in mettlesome, full of mettle or spirit; gladsome, full of gladness; winsome, blithesome, etc.

Received with gladness; admitted willingly to the house, entertainment, or company; as, a welcome visitor. When the glad soul is made Heaven's welcome guest. Cowper.