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.
“I’m proud and thankful for the university for making this happen.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
He also stated that he is thankful for the large age gap between him and his children–as it means they won’t have to constantly have their own careers being compared to their father’s.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
"It's an experience, you know, I would be happy to do without it, but everybody's been very kind here, very good, so we have to be thankful."
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Yet, when Cook revealed in April that he was stepping down, Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, publicly praised him as "a legend", adding he was "very thankful for everything he has done".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
He leaned into Esperanza’s shoulder, thankful that they were both the same height.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions 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.
