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
Riskin is also grateful for the extra seating.
—Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 4 June 2026
First, that the guests are considerate and grateful, even if that does not mean taking out the trash.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
His grandfather, Robert Holt, said the family was deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and described Weston as a strong young man who had just finished an Ironman triathlon.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Liu and Yu remain deeply grateful and visibly enthused to be able to tell the entirety of the main Avatar story, even if the double-renewal first came with a fake-out.
—Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grateful
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Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 4 June 2026
First, that the guests are considerate and grateful, even if that does not mean taking out the trash.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
His grandfather, Robert Holt, said the family was deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and described Weston as a strong young man who had just finished an Ironman triathlon.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Liu and Yu remain deeply grateful and visibly enthused to be able to tell the entirety of the main Avatar story, even if the double-renewal first came with a fake-out.
—Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 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 6 Jun. 2026.
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