WordGarden.ioglee
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡlˈiː/
US
- /ˈɡli/
Meanings
Noun
great delight or joyful excitement
a part-song for several voices, usually unaccompanied
Beyond the definition
This is not just simple happiness. It is lively, visible joy that seems to spill out in laughter, smiles, or excited movement. Think of children laughing on a snow day, a fan cheering after a last-second win, or someone beaming after finally learning a hard skill. It often feels playful and energetic rather than calm and quiet. Sometimes it can also describe pleasure at seeing something go wrong for someone else, which gives the word a slightly sharp edge in some situations.
Glee describes a strong, lively feeling of delight that usually shows itself openly. It is more active and visible than quiet happiness. When people feel it, they often laugh, grin, clap, jump, or speak with excited energy. For example: "The children shrieked with glee as the puppy chased its tail," or "He watched with glee as his rival's elaborate prank backfired."
Very often, the word suggests joy that feels playful, bursting, and hard to hide. It can appear in happy moments such as winning a game, opening long-awaited good news, or watching something funny and delightful happen. In many cases, it has a note of excitement or triumph: the pleasure of success, surprise, or things turning out exactly as hoped.
But the word is not always innocent or warm. It can also be used when someone takes obvious pleasure in another person's trouble, failure, or embarrassment. In that kind of sentence, the feeling is still excited and open, but it may sound unkind. That is an important part of how the word is used in real English.
The word comes from the Old English glēo, which was linked to mirth, play, and entertainment. That history still fits the modern sense well, because the feeling often seems spirited, playful, and expressive rather than quiet or reserved.
Whether it appears as delighted laughter, a bright grin, or excited satisfaction, glee names a vivid form of joy that is easy to see and hard to keep inside.
Examples
- 1
Children
The children screamed with glee when the doors of the amusement park opened.
- 2
Private success
She tried to hide her glee when she saw her name at the top of the list.
- 3
Planning surprise
He rubbed his hands with glee as the surprise party started to come together.
- 4
Tabloid reaction
The tabloids covered the actor's mistake with glee.
- Usage
with glee can suggest enjoying someone else's trouble
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Someone else's reaction
Much to his sister's glee, he slipped and dropped the stack of papers.
- Patternto someone's glee
causing that person great pleasure
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- jubilation
- exuberance
- schadenfreude
Contrast
Do not confuse
- glee club
Used with (collocations)
- with glee
- childlike glee
- malicious glee
- shrieks of glee
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- gleenoun
Forms
- gleespluralnoun