GLEE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does glee mean? 

• GLEE (noun)
  The noun GLEE has 2 senses:

1. great merriment

2. malicious satisfaction

  Familiarity information: GLEE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GLEE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Great merriment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

glee; gleefulness; hilarity; mirth; mirthfulness

Hypernyms ("glee" is a kind of...):

gaiety; merriment (a gay feeling)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Malicious satisfaction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

glee; gloat; gloating

Hypernyms ("glee" is a kind of...):

satisfaction (the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation)

 Context examples 

She looked round for a moment; he had joined Mr. Knightley at a little distance, and was arranging himself for settled conversation, while smiles of high glee passed between him and his wife.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

"A good idea!" I thought with glee.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He chuckled with glee at the prospect.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“A dear old friend,” said I. “Thank you, Trotwood,” returned Mr. Dick, laughing, and reaching across in high glee to shake hands with me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A council was held, and it was decided that we must desert them on the island—to the huge glee, I must say, of Ben Gunn, and with the strong approval of Gray.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

There was glee in our eyes, and suppressed titters in our mouths, as we put on our shoes and clambered over the side into the boat.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

So she ran into the cellar again, took an enormous drink and ate up the one chicken in great glee.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Fanny turned farther into the window; and Miss Crawford had only time to say, in a pleasant manner, I fancy Miss Price has been more used to deserve praise than to hear it; when, being earnestly invited by the Miss Bertrams to join in a glee, she tripped off to the instrument, leaving Edmund looking after her in an ecstasy of admiration of all her many virtues, from her obliging manners down to her light and graceful tread.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

When I told the Professor he shouted in glee like a schoolboy, and, after looking intently till a snow fall made sight impossible, he laid his Winchester rifle ready for use against the boulder at the opening of our shelter.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And in short, he had looked and said everything with such exquisite grace, that they could assure them all, their heads were both turned by him; and off they ran, quite as full of glee as of love, and apparently more full of Captain Wentworth than of little Charles.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)