glee

UK: /ˈgliː/ US: /gli/ ,(glē)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

glee¹ /gli/   n. [uncountable]

1. delight;
   great joy:
   The children were full of glee.

glee•ful, adj. 
glee•ful•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

glee¹  (glē), n. 

1. open delight or pleasure;
   exultant joy;
   exultation.
2. an unaccompanied part song for three or more voices, popular esp. in the 18th century.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English glēo; cognate with Old Norse glȳ; akin to glow

Synonyms

• 1. merriment, jollity, hilarity, mirth, joviality, gaiety. See mirth. 

glee²  (glē), [Scot. and North Eng.]
v.i. 

1. Scottish Terms to squint or look with one eye.

n. 

2. Scottish Terms a squint.
3. an imperfect eye, esp. one with a cast.

• Scandinavian; compare Old Norse gljā to shine
• 1250–1300; Middle English glien, gleen; perh.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

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 madrigal1

Etymology: Old English gléo; related to Old Norse glӯ