# glee

/ˈɡɫi/ (US) · /ɡlˈiː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/glee
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. great delight

noun · CEFR B2

a feeling of great joy and excitement, especially when you are happy about your own success or someone else's failure.

For teachers: intense delight or exultation, often characterized by a sense of triumph or malicious satisfaction at another's misfortune.

- He rubbed his hands with glee when he heard he had won the prize.
- The rival team watched with visible glee as the defending champions fumbled their final opportunity to equalise the score.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'with' to describe how an action is performed.

### 2. a type of song

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a short song for three or more voices singing together without instruments.

For teachers: an unaccompanied part song for three or more solo voices, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

- The university choir performed a traditional glee during the spring concert.
- The composer specialised in writing intricate glees that required precise vocal blending and dynamic control from the small ensemble.

Usage: Usually countable in this musical sense.

## Examples

- She laughed with glee when she won the race.
- The children shouted with glee as the first snow of the winter began to fall.
- The tabloid press reported on the politician's sudden downfall with a sense of ill-concealed glee, filling their front pages with embarrassing photographs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.