thankful
- 01 A2 Elementary
feeling or showing that you are happy and grateful for something.
expressing or feeling gratitude; appreciative of a benefit received.
Simple“I am very thankful for all the support you gave me during the move.”
In context“The family was deeply thankful for the community's generosity following the fire, which allowed them to find temporary housing immediately.”
PitfallI am thankful of your help. I am thankful for your help.Use the preposition 'for' to describe the reason you are thankful, or 'to' for the person you are thanking.
SynonymsAntonymsungratefulthankless - 02 B1 Intermediate
feeling pleased or relieved that something bad did not happen.
expressing relief that a particular misfortune was avoided or a difficult period has ended.
Simple“We were thankful to arrive home safely before the heavy snow started.”
In context“After the engine trouble mid-flight, the passengers were visibly thankful to be back on solid ground.”
UsageOften followed by a 'to' infinitive or a 'that' clause.
From Middle English thankful, from Old English þancful, þancfull (“thoughtful, pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, thankful, grateful”), equivalent to thank + -ful. Compare Old High German undankfol (“unthankful, ungrateful”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.