as in to delight
to give satisfaction to
it would gladden me to hear you sing again
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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 quick-change, prop-heavy musical skit brings to the stage, briefly, staples from that classic variety show that will gladden the hearts of TV nostalgists: acrobats, plate spinners, jugglers, the Rockettes, the Vienna Boys Choir, Liberace and even the mouse puppet Topo Gigio.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
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
The Concorde will gladden the hearts of record buffs.
—J. A. Maxtone Graham, Popular Mechanics, 24 Sep. 2020
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
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 quick-change, prop-heavy musical skit brings to the stage, briefly, staples from that classic variety show that will gladden the hearts of TV nostalgists: acrobats, plate spinners, jugglers, the Rockettes, the Vienna Boys Choir, Liberace and even the mouse puppet Topo Gigio.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
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
The Concorde will gladden the hearts of record buffs.
—J. A. Maxtone Graham, Popular Mechanics, 24 Sep. 2020
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
-
The discovery of a blue octopus about the size of a golf ball has delighted marine biologists and the public with its rarity – and its big-eyed cute factor.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
Fun activities with children will delight you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Still, a gas tax suspension remains a go-to solution for vote-maximizing politicians eager to please their constituents.—
Joseph Thorndike,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Also new at this Cote is a luxe japchae, whose ingredients are wheeled in on a beautiful cart bearing little bowls—noodles, vegetables julienned to pleasing uniformity, and a frankly enormous portion of sweet Alaskan-king-crab meat.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Modern Pentathlon has held a continuous place in the Olympic Games since 1912, constantly evolving over the decades to satisfy the viewing preferences of sports fans around the world.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
Under federal law, Social Security retirement and disability benefits generally cannot be garnished by private creditors to satisfy consumer debts.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Most scientists believe that burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, which remain in the atmosphere, and that these gases trap additional heat, which warms the planet.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
As warming increases sea ice temperatures, the mechanical properties shift in ways that aren’t yet fully understood.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Smallmouth bass already feast on humpback chub in the river’s upper section, where agencies spend millions of dollars annually to keep the intruders in check.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
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Before the group came out, a group of extras mimed drinking tea and feasting on pastries, with pinky fingers aloft — per the song’s innate spoofing of the etiquette stereotypically associated with tea drinking.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The judges, however, were not amused.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 May 2026
-
Horan, 32, points over his shoulder at the interaction, clearly amused.—
Sara Belcher,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladden. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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