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 am grateful there were no reported injuries and thankful for the first responders, engineers, and launch crews who acted quickly," Haridopolos said.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
I’m thankful we got time to reconnect 2 months before his passing.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
I didn’t know who I was and I’m thankful to the staff for just allowing me to grow into that character.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
“I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Taran unsaddled Melyngar, thankful the girl had thought to bring along Gwydion’s gear.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
