thankful

adjective

thank·​ful ˈthaŋk-fəl 

1

: conscious of benefit received

for what we are about to receive make us truly thankful

2

: expressive of thanks

thankful service

3

: well pleased : glad

was thankful that it didn't rain

thankfulness noun

Synonyms

• glad
• pleased
• delighted
• happy
• satisfied

Examples of thankful in a Sentence

Everyone was thankful to hear the good news.

we were thankful that someone else was footing the bill for the lavish wedding banquet

Recent Examples on the Web

Others were simply thankful to hear the man was able to avoid a serious allergic reaction before fully understanding his allergy. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

Video posted on Facebook shows a tree service worker leaning an extremely tall ladder up to an enormous tree in order to rescue a very talkative — and thankful — black cat. —Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2025

Parents like Gilder are thankful for Juberian and USSA for giving their time to make dreams for kids like Keagen possible. —Leo Pomerenke, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025

During his postgame news conference, Napier had a thankful message for the crowd, thanking them for making a positive impact on his players on the field. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thankful

• grateful/thankful for small mercies

Kids Definition

thankful

adjective

thank·​ful ˈthaŋk-fəl 

: feeling or showing thanks

thankfully

-fə-lē

adverb

thankfulness noun