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
Names were announced, cheers ensued and grateful winners accepted and quickly posed for photos.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Even with those natural fears, Swims remains grateful for all life has given him in terms of his family.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
The two men exchange grateful texts later that evening, home safe and stumped about where to go next.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
For all of it, NoiseCat feels grateful.
—Mona Gable, Outside, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grateful
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Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Even with those natural fears, Swims remains grateful for all life has given him in terms of his family.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
The two men exchange grateful texts later that evening, home safe and stumped about where to go next.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
For all of it, NoiseCat feels grateful.
—Mona Gable, Outside, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grateful
Cite this Entry
“Grateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grateful. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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