grateful

1 of 2

adjective

grate·​ful ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce grateful (audio)
Synonyms of grateful
1
a
: appreciative of benefits received : feeling or showing thanks
b
: expressing gratitude
a grateful smile
2
a
: affording pleasure or contentment : pleasing
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
gratefully
ˈgrāt-fə-lē How to pronounce grateful (audio)
adverb
gratefulness noun

gratefulness

2 of 2

noun

grate·​ful·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being grateful
gratefulness for such a favor

Synonyms of grateful

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of grateful in a Sentence

Adjective 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Kennedy used some of his MacArthur money to establish what would become the New York State Writers Institute, and in 1984, a grateful metropolis laid on a citywide celebration in his honor. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Either way, parents are grateful Ron Bullaro had another idea to keep her memory alive, the kind of unusual request that Golding and her team are used to getting. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 And how’s Mike Leigh feeling today — at peace, grateful, restless? — Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 In a new interview with American Songwriter, Green opened up about feeling grateful his success came over time rather than all at once. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grateful

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of grateful was in 1552

Phrases Containing grateful

Rhymes for grateful

See All Rhymes for grateful

Browse Nearby Words

G-rated
grateful
gratefully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grateful. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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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
-fə-lē How to pronounce grateful (audio)
adverb
gratefulness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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