thankful
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See grateful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thankful
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English thancful; see thank, -ful
Compare meaning
How does thankful compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
On Thanksgiving, we remember to be thankful, showing and feeling our thanks for the meal and company in front of us. When you are thankful, you're full of thanks. It's a word that expresses either a feeling or showing of gratitude. You can be thankful that the long week is over, or you can give a thankful smile to your boss when she says you can leave a few hours early.
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.
“Nicole told us even before she passed that she had peace, and we were really thankful for that,” Natalie shared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
“They’re still going through our county permitting process, even though they may not necessarily have to. So we’re thankful for that project still allowing the community to have a seat at the table.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
"People are very complimentary and very thankful," Riley said.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
They’re not consumed by a desire to appear thankful for the privilege to make money from playing sports.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
Moss was thankful for his nickname, because it now allowed him to push away the painful memories of his father.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
