gratefulgrate‧ful /ˈɡreɪtfəl/ ●●○ S3 W3 adjective 
I’m so grateful for all your help.grateful to I am very grateful to all those who took the trouble to write to me.grateful (that) She should be grateful that he was making things easier for her.extremely/deeply/eternally etc grateful I am extremely grateful for the assistance your staff have provided. Our grateful thanks go to all who participated. She gave me a grateful look.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say I appreciate it rather than I’m grateful: Thanks, I’m really grateful. ➔ Thanks, I really appreciate it. | I’m grateful for everything you've done. ➔ I appreciate everything you've done.2I would be grateful if you could/would ... formal used to make a request: I would be most grateful if you could send me an invoice in due course.—gratefully adverb: All contributions will be gratefully received. The authors gratefully acknowledge your financial support.
WORD ORIGINgrateful
Origin:
1500-1600 grate ‘pleasing, thankful’ (16-17 centuries), from Latin gratusEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a grateful sigh of relief
- Dr Shah has received hundreds of letters from grateful patients.
- Fay is one of Dr. Scott's grateful patients.
- I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me.
- My daughter was rescued safely, and I am very grateful to the firemen.
- At the end of the summer, Margarett was so grateful she gave Mrs Ramsdell a gold bangle.
- For this a grateful nation made him a hero.
- He sulked, grateful only that he had not insisted on the iron mask, but had chosen the velvet one.
- I guess the Huggins family is still grateful to you.
- I should be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter.
- I suppose she was so grateful that she became one of his flock.
- Just then he felt the bone pop, then slide painfully free, and he was not grateful but angry now.
- Mr. Snape I understand that, and I am grateful to the Minister for pointing it out.
Longman Language Activatorways of asking someone to do something or to let you have something
use this to ask someone politely to do something for you or to let you do something: · I'd like to ask you a couple of questions - do you mind?would/do you mind if: · Would you mind if I held the baby?· Do you mind if I just turn down the volume a little?would/do you mind doing something?: · Would you mind stopping at the Post Office on the way home?· Dinner won't be on the table for another half hour - do you mind waiting?
British /(would/could you) do me a favor? American use this to ask someone to do something for you or help you with something. Using do me a favour alone is more informal than saying would or could you do me a favour: · Would you do me a favour and call Tom to tell him I'm on my way home?· Do me a favor - in that box over there, there's a screwdriver - can you hand it to me?· Could you do me a favour and lock everything up at five?
also I would appreciate it if ... use this in formal language or business letters to ask someone to do something for you: · I would be grateful if you could send this information to me at the address below.· I would appreciate it if you could let me know when you will be making your decision.
use this to ask someone to do something for you. Could you and would you are more polite than can you: · Could you hold these while I get my keys?· Would you get me a towel, please?· Can you babysit for us Friday night?
use this to politely get someone's attention or to interrupt what they are doing when you want to ask them something. Pardon me is slightly old-fashioned and is more formal than excuse me: · Excuse me, could I borrow your pen for a minute?· Pardon me, do you know what time it is?
when you feel that you want to thank someone feeling that you want to thank someone, especially because they have done something for you and helped you a lot: · Dr Shah has received hundreds of letters from grateful patients.grateful for: · I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me.grateful to: · My daughter was rescued safely, and I am very grateful to the firemen.
grateful that someone has done something, because if they had not done it the situation would have been much worse: · Take what they give you, and be thankful.thankful for: · I am always thankful for their enthusiasm and commitment.thankful that: · She was thankful that Louise had insisted she travel first class.
to be grateful to someone for something that they have done for you, because you realize that they did not have to do it or that they made a big effort to do it for you: · We really appreciate everything you've done for our daughter.· Alan asked me to tell you how much he appreciated your hospitality when he was in London.
showing that you are pleased and grateful for someone's help or kindness: · He wrote a warm, appreciative letter, thanking her for everything she had done.· They weren't particularly appreciative the last time I helped them. I don't think I'll bother again.appreciative of: · Our new boss is a real joy to work for. She's so appreciative of anything you do for her.
formal to feel very grateful to someone for something they have given you or done for you: · We are indebted to the National Archives for permission to print these photographs.be greatly/deeply indebted to somebody: · She said that she was greatly indebted to everyone who had supported her campaign.
if you say you owe someone something, you are grateful because they have helped you to succeed at something or to improve your life, and without their help this might not have been possible: owe a lot/a great deal to somebody: · I owe a great deal to my publishers, who helped me to finish writing the book.owe it all/everything to somebody: · I owe it all to you. You were the only one who believed in me.owe somebody a lot/a great deal: · "I owe my parents a lot," he admitted. "They worked real hard to put me through college."owe a debt of gratitude to somebody: · We all owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs Stevenson, who kindly donated the money for the project.
when you feel grateful, especially because someone has been kind to you: express/show gratitude (for something): · He wrote again, expressing gratitude for the help he had received.a sense of gratitude: · She felt a deep sense of gratitude to the teacher who had encouraged her to go on to university.in gratitude (=because you are grateful): · "I'll take the van back, shall I?" he asked, and Elise nodded in gratitude.
a feeling that you want to thank someone for their help or service and to show them that you think it was important and valuable: show your appreciation: · To show his appreciation of her kindness he sent her some flowers.in appreciation of something (=in order to show appreciation of): · In appreciation of Mr Mainwaring's years of service, the company presented him with a gold watch.token of somebody's appreciation (=a sign of someone's appreciation): · We'd like you to accept this gift as a small token of our appreciation.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY I am extremely grateful for the assistance your staff have provided. Our grateful thanks go to all who participated. All contributions will be gratefully received.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I’ll be eternally grateful (=very grateful) to you for this.
I am extremely grateful for the assistance your staff have provided. Our grateful thanks go to all who participated. All contributions will be gratefully received. I’ll be eternally grateful (=very grateful) to you for this.· Our grateful thanks go to everyone who took part in the event.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· I am also grateful to Brian Watkins who was the first to put the idea to me that drama is a game.· I am also grateful for the unstinting help of those who staffed the stall and baked as well.· I am also grateful to Illmensee.
· Hank was suddenly deeply grateful to old Mr Albert for taking him seriously.· As he headed home with Dooley at nearly one-thirty in the morning, he felt deeply grateful, but uncommonly fatigued.· It indicated that he didn't know me well - for which I was deeply grateful.· He was deeply grateful to her, and to everyone.· But I was at home and close to my drugs, and I was most deeply grateful for my escape.· I feel deeply grateful that these mountains do not close all round us.· We are deeply grateful for his 40 years of service to Johnson Matthey.· I said he had suffered for his country, and that the President was deeply grateful.
· For that we would be eternally grateful.· Only two of the ten couples I interviewed made such a choice, and both feel eternally grateful.· In Head, Nicholson had kindly provided them with a suicide note for which Mike Nesmith was eternally grateful.
· Giles was extremely grateful for this: he hated to trouble his friend.· Needless to say, the result is an extremely grateful patient.· Alfred was suddenly extremely grateful that none of his colleagues knew of Beatrice Throgmorton's place in his life.· Smokers have adapted and accepted the new rules, and non-smokers are extremely grateful.· She was extremely grateful and the course saw out the war in this fashion the camp never materialising.· She's now officially in remission and extremely grateful to the doctors who've helped her.· At 26 he was the youngest and he was extremely grateful to have been given the chance to row with the best.
· You've been absolutely indispensable to me, and you must understand how grateful I am.· We tell him how grateful we are to our friends.· You don't know how grateful I am!· Most saddening of all was how grateful he appeared for every-thing that he was given.· After all, how grateful could he be for her dancing weeks - no, months now - before?· She said how grateful she was.· She wanted to show how grateful she was for this second chance.· He never realized how grateful a man could be for the chance to wash.
· But hardly more grateful than I am already, if grateful is an adequate enough word!· I am ever more grateful for her emotional and intellectual intelligence.· Even though these recordings are restricted in range, the sound is more grateful.· Could it be that they make, because they are more grateful, better love?
· Mr. Adley I am most grateful to my hon. Friend.· Were it possible for a further donation to be agreed at some point during 1993, I should be most grateful.· If therefore you could do something to help our project go ahead, we would be most grateful.· We are most grateful to those readers who participated in the survey.· I am most grateful to her for allowing me to use this remarkable case study of John.· Mr. Graham I am most grateful for your assistance, Mr. Speaker.
· I suppose she was so grateful that she became one of his flock.· If you could help me I would be so grateful.· They won't be so grateful when we're through.· But she was so grateful for what McGovern was doing that she had all but determined to take that risk.· I would be so grateful if you could tell me the name of it, because it looks so unusual.· At the end of the summer, Margarett was so grateful she gave Mrs Ramsdell a gold bangle.· We were very happy, for we were so grateful that we still had each other.· And my father was so grateful he changed his name to Tonelli.
· I would be very grateful if you could shed any light on the phases for me.· I keep them around, for which I became very grateful this Christmas season when suddenly I needed some clip art.· The fool was very grateful, and so was the groom, because he had found one fool greater than his wife.· The Trust is very grateful to those who continue to pay at the full rate.· I am very grateful to you for your continuing support of this special second collection, which is absolutely essential at present.· If you have a pattern that will do for an ordinary machine I would be very grateful.· Central Council is very grateful to all those who donated prizes or sold tickets to help reach this excellent result.
NOUN· To the people who had already heard of her illness and sent her cards and good wishes Molly sends her grateful thanks.· The Bishop tried hard to express his grateful thanks.· Our grateful thanks to Unwins and Suttons seeds for allowing us to use their original seed catalogues.· I extend to them our grateful thanks.· Three Cheers for all of your, and grateful thanks for your response to our call for new members during last year.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- I would be grateful if you could tell me anything about the guitar.
- I would be grateful if you could tell me where I can get hold of such posters.
- I would be grateful if you would examine Exhibit A. Do you recognise it?
- If you will be attending the site visit, I would be grateful if you could complete the tear-off slip below.
- This will take place at the above address on and I would be grateful if you could attend at.
- From now on she could be grateful for small mercies and be content to take one step at a time.
- She wondered wryly whether to be thankful for small mercies, or to feel insulted.
WORD FAMILYnoungratitude ≠ ingratitudeingrateadjectivegrateful ≠ ungratefuladverbgratefully
1feeling that you want to thank someone because of something kind that they have done, or showing this feeling OPP ungratefulgrateful for I’m so grateful for all your help.grateful to I am very grateful to all those who took the trouble to write to me.grateful (that) She should be grateful that he was making things easier for her.extremely/deeply/eternally etc grateful I am extremely grateful for the assistance your staff have provided. Our grateful thanks go to all who participated. She gave me a grateful look.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say I appreciate it rather than I’m grateful: Thanks, I’m really grateful. ➔ Thanks, I really appreciate it. | I’m grateful for everything you've done. ➔ I appreciate everything you've done.2I would be grateful if you could/would ... formal used to make a request: I would be most grateful if you could send me an invoice in due course.—gratefully adverb: All contributions will be gratefully received. The authors gratefully acknowledge your financial support.