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 Not everyone was grateful for his efforts; some inmates, who were linked to isis, denounced him as a collaborator. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Actually, things have never been better, and, if only the public were grateful, Biden should be cruising to reelection. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 8 Mar. 2024 Jonathan speaks of expecting a diverse clientele in the restaurant’s first year but being happily surprised that Dominicans drive from all over the region, grateful and nostalgic for the smells and tastes. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Vanessa Hudgens is grateful for the journey to finding her husband Cole Tucker. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Lewis saw his comedy career as a privilege and always remained grateful for it. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 God made you for me and our 4 babies & I’m forever grateful. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Both incline you to be not just deferential, but grateful. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Elizabeth was grateful that her son had always been even-tempered. Rozina Ali, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024

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 18 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!