Word
gleefully
Phoneticsglee·ful·ly
US/ˈɡɫifəɫi/
UK/ɡlˈiːfəli/
Definition
adv. in a way that shows you are very happy or excited, often because someone else is in trouble. You use it when you are being a bit mean or when you are really enjoying a victory.
adv. in a manner characterized by intense or unbridled joy, often with a hint of malicious satisfaction. Frequently modifies verbs of action or communication to indicate a lack of sympathy for a victim.
Examples
“The children gleefully watched the snow fall.”
“The rival team gleefully celebrated the goal, knowing it would end their opponents' hopes for the championship.”
“The critic gleefully tore apart the director's latest film, finding every minor flaw and publishing a scathing review that dominated the morning headlines.”
Examples
simple
“The children gleefully watched the snow fall.”
contextual
“The rival team gleefully celebrated the goal, knowing it would end their opponents' hopes for the championship.”
complex
“The critic gleefully tore apart the director's latest film, finding every minor flaw and publishing a scathing review that dominated the morning headlines.”
Etymology
From gleeful + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/gleefully