Meanings
comparative more gratefully · superlative most gratefully
- 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 21 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
adverbin a thankful manner; with thanks
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Englishgrateful
- Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
- Proto-Germanic*līką
- Englishgratefully
Cite this entry
gratefully. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratefully
“gratefully.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratefully. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gratefully,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratefully.
Source: gratefully on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.