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
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.
And today, even more grateful to have taken this one with my daughter. Melody Chiu, People.com, 24 May 2025 The fans The Athletic spoke to were sad that Amorim left, perhaps bitter for a few days, but also grateful. Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 22 May 2025 If only Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf were as grateful to the remaining fans as his players. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025 While grateful for his efforts, Toplis and her family are now trying to focus Zuko's attention elsewhere and have taken heart from some of the suggestions by those commenting on the video. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for grateful

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

Cite this Entry

“Grateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grateful. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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
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