gladly
- 01 B1 Intermediate
used to say that you are very happy or willing to do something.
expressing a high degree of willingness or readiness to perform an action.
Simple“I would gladly help you with your homework if you need it.”
In context“The volunteers gladly offered their time to assist with the relief efforts, despite the challenging conditions on the ground.”
UsageTypically placed before the main verb or after an auxiliary verb like 'would'.
Antonymsreluctantlyunwillingly - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
doing something in a happy or joyful way.
performing an action in a manner characterized by gladness or joy.
Simple“The children played gladly in the park all afternoon.”
In context“The weary travellers greeted the sight of the village gladly, knowing that food and rest were finally within reach.”
Teacher's tipIn modern conversation, 'gladly' almost always means 'willingly'. Using it to mean 'in a happy way' can sound slightly old-fashioned or literary.
Synonyms
From Middle English gladly, gladliche, from Old English glædlīċe (“gladly”); equivalent to glad + -ly. Compare Danish glædelig (“joyful”), Icelandic gleðilegur (“delightful”). More at glad, -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.