grateful

play

adjective grate·ful \ ˈgrāt-fəl \

Definition of grateful

1 a :appreciative of benefits received

b :expressing gratitude

grateful thanks

2 a :affording pleasure or contentment :pleasing

b :pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated

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gratefully

play \ˈgrāt-fə-lē\ adverb

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gratefulness

noun

See grateful defined for English-language learners

See grateful defined for kids

Examples of grateful in a Sentence

The voice quacking at the other end of the line sounded surprised and grateful—a young man's eager voice, thankful for the sudden interruption on an otherwise empty afternoon. —Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1992
I didn't have to be in love with the man to do this, and my poor body'd probably be grateful to get fed, since it'd been on such a starvation diet. —Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale, 1992
Sergeant James Smith was a company clerk, which meant that he carried his commander's maps, Edwards was grateful to learn. —Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising, 1986
I am grateful for the Latin I took and for the emphasis on English grammar, which seems to have faded from the curriculum. —John Updike, Hugging the Shore, (1983) 1984
The college sent us a grateful acknowledgment of our donation.
I'm grateful to you for your help.
He's grateful for the attention.

Recent Examples of grateful from the Web

Finally, sit back and give your full, undivided attention to a (grateful) friend.

— ben patterson, PCWorld, "4 ways to turn off annoying notifications on your Android phone or iPhone," 31 July 2017
The Bush administration had done the same for Obama, and Obama had always been grateful for their efforts.

— michael lewis, The Hive, "Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House," 26 July 2017
Through it all, Christie remained grateful for Collins’ contributions to her work.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Agatha Christie’s Fiery Letters Offer New Glimpse Into the Queen of Crime," 21 July 2017
Brayson said that not only are the guests grateful for the fresh garden produce, but the soup kitchen chefs are as well, and enjoy the opportunity to expand their skills to include seasonal culinary delights.

— manon l. mirabelli, Courant Community, "Soup Kitchen Can Benefit From Growing Season," 11 July 2017
Here's an excerpt from a blog about MLS officiating: A word of advice for Orlando City coach Jason Kreis: be extremely grateful that MLS refs aren’t ACC refs.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "How is Orlando City star Cyle Larin like Shaq and Dwight Howard?," 7 July 2017
A word of advice for Orlando City coach Jason Kreis: Be extremely grateful that MLS refs aren’t ACC refs.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Memo to Orlando City coach Jason Kreis: At least MLS refs aren't ACC refs," 6 July 2017
DIANA PRINCE TO THE RESCUE VF.com’s Yohana Desta e-mails: Kevin Feige is ready to admit that Marvel is grateful for the success of Wonder Woman.

— vanityfair.com, "Meet Your New Oscar Voters," 28 June 2017
DIANA PRINCE TO THE RESCUE VF.com’s Yohana Desta e-mails: Kevin Feige is ready to admit that Marvel is grateful for the success of Wonder Woman.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "Meet Your New Oscar Voters," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grateful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of grateful

obsolete grate pleasing, thankful, from Latin gratus — more at grace

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1552

See Words from the same year

grateful Synonyms

Synonyms

appreciative, appreciatory, glad, obliged, thankful

Antonyms

inappreciative, thankless, unappreciative, ungrateful

Related Words

beholden, indebted; contented, delighted, gratified, pleased, satisfied, tickled; thanking

Near Antonyms

inhospitable, rude, thoughtless, ungracious

GRATEFUL Defined for English Language Learners

grateful

play

adjective

Definition of grateful for English Language Learners

: feeling or showing thanks : feeling or showing thanks to someone for some helpful act

GRATEFUL Defined for Kids

grateful

play

adjective grate·ful \ ˈgrāt-fəl \

Definition of grateful for Students

1 :feeling or showing thanks

I'm grateful for your help.

2 :providing pleasure or comfort

… the blended scents of tea and coffee were so grateful to the nose …
—Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

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gratefully

\-fə-lē\ adverb

Word Root of grateful

The Latin word gratus, meaning “pleasing” or “thankful,” gives us the root grat. Words from the Latin gratus have something to do with being pleasing or being thankful. To ingratiate yourself is to make others feel thankful for something you've done. To feel grateful is to feel thankful for something. Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness. To congratulate is to express how pleasing someone's success is.