Definition of grateful
1a : appreciative of benefits receivedb : expressing gratitude grateful thanks
2a : affording pleasure or contentment : pleasingb : pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated
gratefulness
nounPeople Are Reading
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
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The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust is grateful to the Oak Park community for supporting the Home and Studio and extending a warm welcome to visitors from across the country and around the world.
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A few speeches strayed away from politics and instead gave career advice, talked about the stark contrast of living through social media and living in the moment, and being grateful for opportunities.
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Gen. Pierre St-Amand, Royal Canadian Air Force, deputy commander, and North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, told the veterans how grateful everyone in the crowd is for their service.
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Every customer matters Hawk is grateful for the help, but has no illusions: Microsoft isn’t a charity.
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With a background in comedy, Nash is also grateful for the chance to show her range.
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She was relieved to put the case behind her and was grateful to be spared a jail term, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau said outside court.
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There might not be a big tangible advantage to winning the pole for NASCAR’s longest race, but Kevin Harvick was grateful for one strategic reward.
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DJ Khaled has another fine reason to be grateful: Rihanna.
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
GRATEFUL Defined for English Language Learners
grateful
playDefinition of grateful for English Language Learners
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: feeling or showing thanks : feeling or showing thanks to someone for some helpful act
GRATEFUL Defined for Kids
grateful
playDefinition 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
gratefully
\-fə-lē\ adverbWord 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.
Learn More about grateful
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See words that rhyme with grateful Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grateful Spanish Central: Translation of grateful Nglish: Translation of grateful for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grateful for Arabic speakers
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