thankful

adjective

thank·​ful ˈthaŋk-fəl 

1

: conscious of benefit received

for what we are about to receive make us truly thankful

2

: expressive of thanks

thankful service

3

: well pleased : glad

was thankful that it didn't rain

thankfulness noun

Synonyms of thankful

• glad
• pleased
• delighted
• happy
• satisfied

Examples of thankful in a Sentence

Everyone was thankful to hear the good news.

we were thankful that someone else was footing the bill for the lavish wedding banquet

Recent Examples on the Web

From Elon Musk to Jay-Z, these members of the Forbes list have an extra reason to be thankful for this Mother’s Day. —Gigi Zamora, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

Faith and a little bit of luck left one teenager thankful after a violent crash earlier this week caused her car to split in half. —Terell Bailey, CBS News, 9 May 2026

Her return to Chicago was full of love from the Sky faithful — and Reese was thankful for the support. —Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026

Other fans were simply thankful for the sauce's return. —Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thankful

• grateful/thankful for small mercies

Kids Definition

thankful

adjective

thank·​ful ˈthaŋk-fəl 

: feeling or showing thanks

thankfully

-fə-lē

adverb

thankfulness noun