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Synonyms

grateful

American  
[greyt-fuhl] / ˈgreɪt fəl /

adjective

  1. warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful.

    I am grateful to you for your help.

    Synonyms:
    indebted, obliged
  2. expressing or actuated by gratitude.

    a grateful letter.

  3. pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable; welcome.

    a grateful breeze;

    The peace and calm of the hill country is a grateful relief.

    Synonyms:
    gratifying, pleasant

grateful British  
/ ˈɡreɪtfʊl /

adjective

  1. thankful for gifts, favours, etc; appreciative

  2. showing gratitude

    a grateful letter

  3. favourable or pleasant

    a grateful rest

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Spelling tips for grateful The word grateful is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it is tempting to spell grate- "great." Second, people often want to add an additional l to the end of the word -fulHow to spell grateful: When you are grateful, you are full of gratitude. The beginning of the words are similar. This helps you remember that grateful is spelled grate- instead of great-. It's important to be grateful for what Little you have, which is why you only need one l at the end of the word.

Related Words

Grateful, thankful describe an appreciative attitude for what one has received. Grateful indicates a warm or deep appreciation of personal kindness as shown to one: grateful for favors; grateful to one's neighbors for help in time of trouble. Thankful indicates a disposition to express gratitude by giving thanks, as to a benefactor or to a merciful Providence; there is often a sense of deliverance as well as of appreciation: thankful that one's life was spared in an accident; thankful for the comfort of one's general situation.

Other Word Forms

  • gratefully adverb
  • gratefulness noun
  • overgrateful adjective
  • overgratefully adverb
  • quasi-grateful adjective
  • quasi-gratefully adverb

Etymology

Origin of grateful

First recorded in 1545–55; obsolete grate “pleasing” (from Latin grātus ) + -ful

Compare meaning

How does grateful compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I'm really grateful. At least I have mobility issues. At least I have limbs," he reflects.

From BBC

A woman whose necklace was stolen by a bus passenger who was then knocked unconscious by the driver has said she is "extremely grateful" to him for intervening in what was a "terrifying" situation.

From BBC

Remember to be grateful for the opportunities that come your way and remember to thank the people that give you those chances - they might not be around as long as you expect.

From BBC

Jesy says she feels "so grateful" the cameras were there, and her new aim is to "raise as much awareness as possible" about the muscle condition.

From BBC

“If there is a silver lining to this, the amount of support they’ve gotten is beyond my ability to comprehend. The families are so grateful.”

From Los Angeles Times