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.
Thankful: Living through the dawn of AI, which seems likely to usher in a tsunami of benefits that will make the internet revolution look like a ripple.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025
Thankful he’d worn two layers of clothes, Kingery looked at his now-empty street corner with nothing but the bruises on his back.
From Slate • Oct. 8, 2025
“Thankful I got the surgery. Thankful I’m back here. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2024
The Old Military Road diversion on the A83 Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll was put into use from noon on Sunday as a precaution due to the amount of rain expected.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2024
Except for a formal bow of greeting on Sabbath morning and on Lecture Dayf Kit did not see William again till the day of Thankful Peabody’s wedding.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
