gladly

What it means

1. In a glad manner; happily.

   'Find me a job and I'll gladly go to work.'

   1985, Joan Morrison, chapter 4, in Share House Blues, Boolarong Publications, page 44

   1 more example

   As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.

   1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms: cheerfully, gaily, blessedly, bubblingly, chearfully, cheerfully, cheerily, cheerly

2. Willingly; certainly.

   Would you like a beer? ― Gladly, thank you.

In a sentence

As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.

1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Germanic*gladaz
2. Proto-West Germanic*glad
3. Old Englishglæd
4. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
5. Proto-Germanic*līką
6. Old Englishglædlīċe
7. Middle Englishgladly
8. Englishgladly

Inherited from Middle English gladly (“joyousuly, voluntarily, easily”), from Old English glædlīċe (“gladly, pleasantly, kindly”), from glæd (“glad, bright”) + -līċe. Compare Danish glædelig (“joyful”), Icelandic gleðilegur (“delightful”). More at glad, -ly.