grateful

adjective

grate·​ful ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce grateful (audio)
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
gratefully adverb
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.
Recent Examples on the Web Initially, the broker gains power because the two people she’s introduced are dependent on her for access; the friends are also, hopefully, grateful for the connection. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024 But the truth was everybody was so grateful to be there and to be working again and to be doing the show again. Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024 Regardless, Crowley is grateful that the actor, like Butler, gave all-too-rare precedence to a smaller project. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024 After her visit with them behind bars, Kim Kardashian is grateful to see that Erik and Lyle Menéndez could be able to walk free. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grateful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grateful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of grateful was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near grateful

Cite this Entry

“Grateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grateful. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

grateful

adjective
grate·​ful ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce grateful (audio)
1
a
: appreciative of benefits received
b
: expressing gratitude
2
: giving pleasure or contentment : pleasing
gratefully adverb
gratefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grateful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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