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What is the difference between happy and glad?

happy | glad |

As adjectives the difference between happy and glad

is that happy is experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous while glad is pleased, happy, gratified.

As a verb glad is

to make glad; to cheer; to gladden; to exhilarate.

happy

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous.
  • * 1769 , Oxford Standard text, , 144, xv,
  • Happy' is that people, that is in such a case: yea, ' happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
  • * 1777 , (Alexander Pope), An Essay on Man in Four Epistles: Argument of Epistle II'', in ''The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Esq , Volume III, page 26,
  • The learn'd is happy' nature to explore, / The fool is ' happy that he knows no more ;
    Music makes me feel happy .
  • Favored by luck or fortune; lucky.
  • * 1661 , (Robert Boyle), (The Sceptical Chymist) , 2006, Elibron Classics (imprint), page 227,
  • I may presume that what I have hitherto discoursed will induce you to think, that chymists have been much more happy in finding experiments than the causes of them; or in assigning the principles by which they may best be explained.
  • Dexterous; ready; apt; felicitous.
  • * 1761 , (Jonathan Swift), A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation'': Introduction, in ''The works of Dr Jonathan Swift , Volume VII, page 246,
  • For instance, one lady can give an an?wer better than a?k a que?tion : one gentleman is happy at a reply ; another excels in a rejoinder : one can revive a langui?hing conver?ation by a ?udden ?urpri?ing ?entence ;.
  • Content, satisfied (with or to do something); having no objection (to something).
  • Are you happy to pay me back by the end of the week?
    Are you happy with your internet service provider?
  • (As a suffix to a noun) favouring or inclined to use, as in trigger-happy.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=August 21 , author=Jason Heller , title=The Darkness: Hot Cakes (Music Review) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=“Baby, I was a loser / Several years on the dole / An Englishman with a very high voice / Doing rock ’n’ roll,” sings falsetto-happy frontman Justin Hawkins at the start of “Every Inch Of You,” Hot Cakes ’ opener.}}

    Usage notes

    * Said of expedients, efforts, ventures, omens, etc. * (experiencing the effect of favorable fortune) Said of people, hours, thoughts, times, etc.

    Synonyms

    * (favored by luck) lucky, fortunate, prosperous, cheerful, content, delighted, elated, exultant, orgasmic See

    Antonyms

    * sad * unhappy * unpleasant, displeasing, unenjoyable

    Derived terms

    * happify * happily * happiness * happy as a lark * happy as a pig in shit * happy as Larry * happy bunny * happy chappy * happy-clappy * happy families * happy family * happy-go-lucky * happy hour * happy slapping * happy talk * slap-happy * trigger-happy

    glad

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Pleased, happy, gratified.
  • :
  • *(Bible), (w) x.1:
  • *:A wise son maketh a glad father.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:Glad am I that your highness is so armed.
  • *
  • *:"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."
  • (lb) Having a bright or cheerful appearance; expressing or exciting joy; producing gladness.
  • *Sir (Philip Sidney) (1554-1586)
  • *:Her conversation / More glad to me than to a miser money is.
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:Glad' evening and ' glad morn crowned the fourth day.
  • Usage notes

    The comparative "gladder" and superlative "gladdest" are not incorrect but may be unfamiliar enough to be taken as such. In both American and British English, the forms "more" and "most glad" are equally common in print and more common in daily speech.

    Antonyms

    * sorrowful * sad * downcast * peevish * cranky * heavy * depressed

    Derived terms

    * engladden * gladden * gladly

    Verb

    (gladd)
  • To make glad; to cheer; to gladden; to exhilarate.
  • * Dryden
  • that which gladded all the warrior train
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Each drinks the juice that glads the heart of man.
  • * 1922 , , Epithalamium , line 3
  • God that glads the lover's heart

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----