gratefully

grate·ful·ly
G2R1A1T1E1F4U1L1L1Y4
/ˈɡɹeɪtfəli/

adverb

In a grateful manner.

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 17

Meanings

adverbgratefully (comparative more gratefully, superlative most gratefully)

comparative more gratefully · superlative most gratefully

  1. In a grateful manner.

    The patients were all treated at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital, Sandy Bay, Hong Kong, and the work of all colleagues, nursing staff and collaborators in this study is gratefully acknowledged.

    1983, John Patrick O'Brien, “Clinical Techniques of Halo Pelvic Fixation”, in External Skeletal Fixation, Williams & Wilkins, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 599, column 2
    1 more example

    A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed. ‘Civilized,’ he said to Mr. Campion. ‘Humanizing.’ […] ‘Cigars and summer days and women in big hats with swansdown face-powder, that's what it reminds me of.’

    1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbwith appreciation; in a grateful manner

Opposite

adverbin a thankful manner; with thanks

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Englishgrateful
  2. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  3. Proto-Germanic*līką
  4. Englishgratefully

From grateful + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

gratefully. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratefully

MLA

“gratefully.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratefully. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gratefully,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratefully.

Source: gratefully on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.