glee

¹

[ glee ]

noun

1. open delight or pleasure; exultant joy; exultation.

   Synonyms: gaiety, joviality, mirth, hilarity, jollity, merriment

2. an unaccompanied part song for three or more voices, popular especially in the 18th century.

glee

²

[ glee ]

verb (used without object)

1. to squint or look with one eye.

noun

1. a squint.
2. an imperfect eye, especially one with a cast.

glee

/ ɡliː /

noun

1. great merriment or delight, often caused by someone else's misfortune
2. a type of song originating in 18th-century England, sung by three or more unaccompanied voices Compare madrigal

Word History and Origins

Origin of glee¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English glēo; cognate with Old Norse glȳ; akin to glow

Origin of glee²

1250–1300; Middle English glien, gleen; perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse gljā to shine

Word History and Origins

Origin of glee¹

Old English gléo; related to Old Norse glӯ

Synonym Study

See mirth.

Example Sentences

Normani and Thorne nail the performance, spitting the tight, overlapping insults about Too Short’s height, girth and dental hygiene with malicious glee.

From Los Angeles Times

Carlstrom has written a book that feels incredibly of the moment, twining together anger and glee, hope and despair, alienation and community.

From Los Angeles Times

They’ll recall Simpson’s relentless attacks on the program and its beneficiaries beginning around 2010, which he pursued with noxious glee, crass insults and outright lies.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s the sound of Vladimir Putin rubbing his hands with glee as America does his bidding in Europe.

From Salon

“Like, I really taught ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ to my junior high school girls’ glee club to get their attention.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• delight
• elation
• exhilaration
• exuberance
• joy
• pleasure
• verve