grateful

adjective grate·ful \ ˈgrāt-fəl \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

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

Finney’s daughter and son have since died, but his grandchildren are grateful for the arrest.

— teri figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Photography, fingerprints, DNA lead to arrest in 1986 slaying of retiree," 23 Apr. 2018
Still, Steyer has fans inside the impeachment cottage industry who are grateful for an ally rich enough to turn their ideas into zeitgeist.

— max abelson, Bloomberg.com, "Call Him Mr. Impeachment: Tom Steyer’s War Against Donald Trump," 25 Apr. 2018
And for both, she is owed the thanks of a grateful nation.

— rochelle riley, Detroit Free Press, "Riley: Let's learn from the lessons Barbara Bush left behind," 20 Apr. 2018
The grateful pupil doesn’t always follow in the footsteps of the teacher — and the United States would do well to keep that in mind and leave an open door.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "President Trump should engage Cuba’s new president, not leave policy to Marco Rubio | Miami Herald," 19 Apr. 2018
That is why much of a grateful nation will take a moment to affirm, reflect, and celebrate their service next month.

— phillip morris, cleveland.com, "America's police shouldn't only be acknowledged in the month of May: Phillip Morris," 10 Apr. 2018
The paper goes on to say that grateful counterparts have a tendency to be perceived as more forgiving, more inclined to cancel a debt, look the other way, settle for less.

— neil senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Why showing gratitude during negotiations is not a weakness," 9 Apr. 2018
The ball rebounded onto the line before the grateful ’Gladbach ’keeper could gather it.

— ciaran fahey, chicagotribune.com, "Bundesliga Recap: Bremen go 11 points clear of drop zone after Eintracht win," 1 Apr. 2018
Hurricane Irma — the gift from Mother Nature that keeps on giving to the grateful people of Lake County.

— lauren ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Hurricane Irma lingers with expensive toll from big washout in Mount Dora," 30 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

grateful Synonyms

GRATEFUL Defined for English Language Learners

grateful

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

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.