thankfully

Meanings

1. 1adverb

   Used to say that you are glad and relieved that something bad did not happen or that a situation turned out well.

   Grammar: Often placed at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma, to comment on the whole situation.

   Patterns

   • thankfully, + clause
   • thankfully for someone, + clause

   Thankfully, no one was hurt in the accident.

   The rain stopped just before the picnic, thankfully.

   Thankfully for us, the train was delayed, so we didn't miss it.

2. 2adverb

   In a way that shows you are grateful for something.

   Grammar: Used after a verb to describe the manner of an action, meaning 'with thanks'.

   Patterns

   • smile thankfully
   • accept something thankfully

   She smiled thankfully when he handed her the lost keys.

   He accepted the offer thankfully, knowing how rare such chances were.

Common combinations

thankfully, no one

Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire.

thankfully, the weather

Thankfully, the weather stayed clear for the wedding.

smile thankfully

She smiled thankfully at the stranger who helped her.

Synonyms and how they differ

fortunately

Very close in meaning, but fortunately is more neutral and slightly more formal; thankfully adds a feeling of personal relief or gratitude.

luckily

Suggests good luck rather than relief or gratitude; you can use it when chance played a big part.

gratefully

Means 'in a grateful way' and is used after verbs; it does not usually comment on a whole sentence like thankfully.

Opposites

Word family

thankful adjective

Feeling grateful for something.

thankfulness noun

The feeling of being grateful.

thank verb

To tell someone you are grateful for something.

Commonly confused: thankfully or gratefully?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “thankfully”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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