glee

noun

1
: exultant high-spirited joy : merriment
dancing with glee
2
: a part-song for usually male voices

Examples of glee in a Sentence

They were dancing with glee. He could hardly contain his glee over his victory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some Yankees were upset during the offseason, feeling the Dodgers took too much glee and rubbed it in about the Yankees’ metdown in the fifth inning of Game 5. Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025 Fines and any restriction or suspension of the driver’s license aren’t going to be met with glee by the driver, either. Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 30 May 2025 The essay, which appeared in the literary magazine n+1, was the second most read piece in the publication’s history, and was widely discussed with both glee and horror. S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 2 May 2025 Porsche expressed some extra glee at setting the manual-transmission record, and said manual transmission sales for the 911 GT3 are up, too. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for glee

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English glēo entertainment, music; akin to Old Norse glȳ joy, and perhaps to Greek chleuē joke

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glee was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Glee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glee. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

glee

noun
1
: high-spirited joy
2
: an unaccompanied song for three or more voices
gleeful
-fəl
adjective
gleefully
-fə-lē
adverb
gleefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on glee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!