1
a
: appreciative of benefits received : feeling or showing thanks
b
: expressing gratitude
a grateful smile
2
b
: pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated
… shy wild creatures are at home beneath the grateful lights and shadows of the woods, rejoicing in their fullness of perfect life!—
John Muir
John Muir
gratefulness
noun
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.
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 on the Web
Both Rodriguez and Busbee remain grateful for the support that Santiago Canyon College provides for veterans.
—Larry D. Urish, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
Richard is grateful for the support.
—David Begnaud, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
All the more reason to be grateful for Sandra Hüller as Stratt, who keeps pulling the proceedings back to Earth in the best possible way.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Jonny Diamond is grateful for last week’s voyage to AWP, that apex stateside literary conference.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grateful
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Larry D. Urish, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
Richard is grateful for the support.
—David Begnaud, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
All the more reason to be grateful for Sandra Hüller as Stratt, who keeps pulling the proceedings back to Earth in the best possible way.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Jonny Diamond is grateful for last week’s voyage to AWP, that apex stateside literary conference.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grateful
Cite this Entry
“Grateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grateful. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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