What does glee mean?
Glee is a noun for a particularly bright, animated form of joy. Unlike a neutral word such as happiness, it often suggests delight expressed through laughter, singing, movement, or exuberant celebration. The feeling can be straightforward, but the word can also carry an ironic edge: someone may celebrate another person's setback with glee, indicating pleasure in the misfortune. Glee appears in both ordinary speech and literary language, and its strongest associations are somewhat more expressive and old-fashioned than those of “joy” or “cheer.” The word is useful when the intensity or character of happiness matters: it describes not merely being pleased, but being visibly and vigorously delighted. It can consequently describe a person's expression, a celebration, a response to news, or a scene full of noisy high spirits. The related adjective “gleeful” and adverb “gleefully” make the same quality explicit in grammar and are useful for emphasizing exuberance, celebration, or sometimes cruel amusement.
nounA strong, exuberant feeling of joy or delight, often expressed in a lively or boisterous way.
- Exuberant or boisterous joy and delight.
"The children shouted with glee when the surprise announcement was made."
"The children danced with glee after receiving their prizes."
"The newspaper column was written with evident glee at the minister's embarrassment."
Usually uncountable when referring to the feeling itself; the plural is used for distinct instances or expressions of joy.
"The crowd erupted in glees of delight."
Glee is joy with a grin: it suggests delight so lively it can turn sharp, even mischievous.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glee come from?
Glee comes from Old English glēa, meaning “joy, mirth, entertainment.” It belongs to a Germanic word family that also produced glad; related English words include gladsome and gladdish. The modern noun has retained the sense of intense merriment, while the adjective gleeful is a later formation emphasizing that quality.
Related word forms
How glee is actually used
Glee is somewhat literary and is more intense than the ordinary word “joy.” It can be used sincerely, but it may also suggest cruel or ironic amusement in the circumstances being described.
Easily confused with glee
Glee means exuberant joy, whereas gleam refers to a brief flash or soft radiance of light.