Gladly

How to spell gladly

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce gladly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does gladly mean?

1. adverbIn a willing, happy, or cheerful manner.

Gladly in a sentence

• She gladly accepted the invitation to the conference.

• The team gladly stayed late to finish the report on time.

Where does gladly come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word, descending from the Old English adjective 'glæd', which meant 'bright', 'shining', or 'cheerful', combined with the common adverb-forming ending '-lice', the ancestor of modern '-ly'. The early sense of 'glad' leaned toward radiance and a beaming, joyful mood, and that brightness gradually narrowed into the plain idea of being pleased or willing. The adverb 'glædlice' was already in use well over a thousand years ago, meaning 'cheerfully' or 'willingly', and it has survived almost unchanged in meaning ever since. The word has close cousins in other Germanic languages, such as German 'glatt' and Old Norse 'glathr', which reflect the older sense of smooth or shining. For spelling, the trap is simply remembering it is a single 'd' from 'glad' plus '-ly', not 'gladdly'.

How the word is built

• glad (pleased, happy)
• -ly (adverb suffix)