thankfully
gb/θˈæŋkfəli/ us/θˈæŋkfəli/
B1
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
property
1
used to show relief or gratitude
Used before a sentence to show you feel happy or lucky about what you are saying.
Usage pattern:
thankfully, [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am thankfully"* instead of *"I am thankful"* when talking about their own feeling, or they say *"thankfully for"* instead of *"thankful for"*. Use **thankfully** before a whole sentence ("Thankfully, we arrived on time"), and **thankful** as an adjective with *for* ("I am thankful for your help").
Synonyms
fortunately (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and does not normally include a feeling of personal gratitude.)
|
luckily (Informal; often sounds a bit more casual and focused on chance than on gratitude.)
Antonyms
unfortunately (Expresses that something is bad or disappointing instead of good or lucky.)
Collocations
thankfully, no one was hurt
|thankfully for everyone
|thankfully, that was the end
|say thankfully
|breathe thankfully
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Thankfully, no one was injured in the accident.
- The storm passed quickly, thankfully, and we could go outside again.
- Thankfully for us, they had one ticket left.
- Thankfully, I remembered to back up my files before the computer crashed.
- The meeting was short, thankfully, so we got home early.
Learner examples
- Thankfully, the baby is okay.
- Thankfully, it did not rain today.
- Thankfully, I found my phone.
- Thankfully, we arrived on time.
- Thankfully, she understood my mistake.
adverb
B2
property
2
in a way that shows gratitude
Showing that you feel thankful, in the way you speak or act.
Usage pattern:
[someone] [verb] thankfully
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse **thankfully** (adverb) with **thankful** (adjective) and say things like *"she was looking thankful"* when they mean the manner of looking. Use **thankfully** to describe how an action is done ("she looked thankfully at him") and **thankful** to describe a state ("she was thankful for his help").
Synonyms
gratefully (The most direct synonym; often sounds a bit more formal or literary.)
Antonyms
ungratefully (Shows a lack of gratitude or appreciation instead of thankfulness.)
Collocations
smile thankfully
|nod thankfully
|look thankfully
|say thankfully
|accept thankfully
Themes
emotions
|social
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She smiled thankfully when he held the door open for her.
- He nodded thankfully and took the cup of coffee.
- They accepted the donation thankfully, knowing it would help many families.
- The passenger looked thankfully at the driver who had stopped to help.
- She took the blanket thankfully and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Learner examples
- He smiled thankfully at the nurse.
- She nodded thankfully when I gave her my seat.
- The man took the water thankfully.
- The children looked thankfully at their teacher.
- They accepted the gift thankfully.
Grammar
Dictionary form
thankfully
IPA
GB/θˈæŋkfəli/
US/θˈæŋkfəli/
Syllables & stress
thank - fully (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (thank)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: thankfully
- Plural: thankfullies
Word family
Forms
thankfullies
noun
Negative and opposite forms
thankless
adjective
ungrateful
adjective B1
Expressions
thankfully not
1/θˈæŋkfəli nˈɑt/
fixed phrase
showing relief that something is not so
Used to say you are happy or feel lucky that something bad is not true or did not happen.
Examples
- "Did you lose your passport?" "Thankfully not."
- The test was hard, but, thankfully not, it was not as long as last time.
- "Were there any injuries in the fire?" "Thankfully not."