Glad
adjectiveFeeling pleasure, happiness, or relief about something.
How to spell glad
4 letters · 1 syllable
How to pronounce glad
What does glad mean?
- adjectiveFeeling pleasure, happiness, or relief about something.
Glad in a sentence
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She was glad to hear that the train had been delayed rather than cancelled.
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We were glad to help the new neighbours move their furniture.
Where does glad come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This word descends directly from the Old English glæd, which originally carried the sense of 'bright, shining, gleaming' before it broadened to mean 'cheerful' or 'pleased'. The same Germanic root sits behind related forms in other languages: Dutch 'glad' and German 'glatt' kept a more physical sense of 'smooth' or 'sleek', while English carried the emotional sense forward. The link between brightness and happiness is an old one, since a cheerful face was imagined to shine. By the medieval period the modern meaning of being happy or willing had settled firmly into place. The spelling is mercifully simple: one syllable, four letters, no silent letters and no doubled consonants, which keeps it among the easiest words to write.
How the word is built
- glad (from Old English glæd: bright, shining, cheerful), a single root with no affixes
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