Grateful vs. Great — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 3, 2024
Grateful is a feeling of thankfulness, typically in response to a favor, while great describes something of high quality, size, or degree.
Difference Between Grateful and Great
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Grateful often pertains to the emotion experienced as a response to receiving help or kindness from others. Whereas, great is used to denote exceptional quality, magnitude, or intensity in various contexts, such as performance or size.
Grateful is primarily an adjective that describes an internal, emotional state. On the other hand, great can be used both as an adjective and an adverb, influencing its application across different grammatical scenarios.
Grateful conveys appreciation and indebtedness towards a specific act or person. While, great can imply superiority and excellence, often used to signify something or someone that stands out distinctly in comparison to others.
Grateful usually involves a personal interaction or experience that prompts gratitude. Whereas, great can be used more broadly, applicable to abstract concepts, inanimate objects, and broad situations without the necessity of personal engagement.
Grateful embodies a positive emotional reaction, which strengthens relationships and interpersonal connections. While, great describes attributes or achievements, serving more as a qualitative assessment than an emotional response.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective
Adjective, Adverb
Context of Use
Emotional response to kindness
Quality, size, or degree
Common Associations
Thankfulness, appreciation
Excellence, superiority
Usage in Sentence
Describes a personal feeling
Describes qualities or actions
Emotional Connection
High, personal
Variable, often impersonal
Compare with Definitions
Grateful
Feeling thankful for something.
She was grateful for the support during difficult times.
Great
Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above average.
He achieved great success in his career.
Grateful
Showing appreciation.
He gave a grateful nod to his mentor.
Great
Remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude.
She took great risks with her investments.
Grateful
Being aware of benefits received.
They were grateful for every bit of help.
Great
Used to emphasize other adjectives.
It was a great big party.
Grateful
Acknowledging kindness.
Grateful tears filled her eyes.
Great
Of high quality or degree; excellent.
That was a great movie!
Grateful
Expressing gratitude.
She was grateful for the opportunity to speak.
Great
Very good or satisfactory.
We had a great time at the concert.
Grateful
Feeling or showing an appreciation for something done or received
I'm grateful to you for all your help
She gave him a grateful smile
Great
Very large in size, extent, or intensity
A great pile of rubble.
A great storm.
Grateful
Appreciative of benefits received; thankful
I'm grateful for your help.
Great
Of a larger size than other, similar forms
The great anteater.
Grateful
Expressing gratitude
A grateful look.
Great
Large in quantity or number
A great throng awaited us.
Grateful
Affording pleasure or comfort; agreeable
Grateful relief from the hot sun.
Great
Extensive in time or distance
A great delay.
A great way off.
Grateful
Appreciative; thankful.
I'm grateful that you helped me out.
I'm grateful to you for helping me out.
Great
Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent
A great crisis.
Great anticipation.
Grateful
(obsolete) Pleasing, welcome.
Great
Of outstanding significance or importance
A great work of art.
Grateful
Having a due sense of benefits received; kindly disposed toward one from whom a favor has been received; willing to acknowledge and repay, or give thanks for, benefits; as, a grateful heart.
A grateful mindBy owing, owes not, but still pays.
Great
Chief or principal
The great house on the estate.
Grateful
Affording pleasure; pleasing to the senses; gratifying; delicious; as, a grateful present; food grateful to the palate; grateful sleep.
Now golden fruits on loaded branches shine,And grateful clusters swell.
Great
Superior in quality or character; noble
A great man who dedicated himself to helping others.
Grateful
Feeling or showing gratitude;
A grateful heart
Grateful for the tree's shade
A thankful smile
Great
Powerful; influential
One of the great nations of the West.
Grateful
Affording comfort or pleasure;
The grateful warmth of the fire
Great
Eminent; distinguished
A great leader.
Great
Very good; first-rate
We had a great time at the dance.
Great
Very skillful
She is great at algebra.
Great
Enthusiastic
A great lover of music.
Great
Being one generation removed from the relative specified. Often used in combination
A great-granddaughter.
Great
(Archaic) Pregnant.
Great
Pl. greats or great One that is great
A composer considered among the greats.
Great
A division of most pipe organs, usually containing the most powerful ranks of pipes.
Great
A similar division of other organs.
Great
Very well
Got along great with the teacher.
Great
Used as an intensive with certain adjectives
A great big kiss.
Great
(augmentative) Large, senior high-ranking, intense, extreme, or exceptional
Great
Relatively large in scale, size, extent, number (i.e. having many parts or members) or duration (i.e. relatively long); very big.
A great storm is approaching our shores.
A great assembly
A great wait
Great
Title referring to an important leader.
Alexander the Great
Great
Of larger size or more importance than others of its kind.
The great auk
Great
(informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic.
Dinner was great.
Great
Intensifying a word or expression, used in mild oaths.
A dirty great smack in the face
Great Scott!
Great
(qualifying nouns of family relationship) Involving more generations than the qualified word implies — as many extra generations as repetitions of the word great (from 1510s). [see Derived terms]
Great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, great-great-great-grandfather
Great
Pregnant; large with young; full of.
Great with child
Great with hope
Great
Intimate; familiar.
Great
Extreme or more than usual.
Great worry
Great
Of significant importance or consequence; important.
A great decision
Great
(applied to actions, thoughts and feelings) Arising from or possessing idealism; admirable; superior; commanding; heroic; illustrious; eminent.
A great deed
A great nature
A great history
Great
Impressive or striking.
A great show of wealth
Great
Much in use; favoured.
Poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era.
Great
(applied to persons) Endowed with extraordinary powers; of exceptional talents or achievements; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; remarkable; strong; powerful; mighty; noble.
A great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, writer etc.
Great
Doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale; active or enthusiastic.
What a great buffoon!
He's not a great one for reading.
A great walker
Great
(often followed by 'at') Skilful or adroit.
A great carpenter
You are great at singing.
Great
Expression of gladness and content about something.
Great! Thanks for the wonderful work.
Great
Sarcastic inversion thereof.
Oh, great! I just dumped all 500 sheets of the manuscript all over and now I have to put them back in order.
Great
A person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim.
Newton and Einstein are two of the greats of the history of science.
Great
(music) The main division in a pipe organ, usually the loudest division.
Great
(in combinations such as "two-greats", "three-greats" etc.) An instance of the word "great" signifying an additional generation in phrases expressing family relationships.
My three-greats grandmother.
Great
(informal) Very well in a very satisfactory manner.
Those mechanical colored pencils work great because they don't have to be sharpened.
Great
Large in space; of much size; big; immense; enormous; expanded; - opposed to small and little; as, a great house, ship, farm, plain, distance, length.
Great
Large in number; numerous; as, a great company, multitude, series, etc.
Great
Long continued; lengthened in duration; prolonged in time; as, a great while; a great interval.
Great
Superior; admirable; commanding; - applied to thoughts, actions, and feelings.
Great
Endowed with extraordinary powers; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; strong; powerful; mighty; noble; as, a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, etc.
Great
Holding a chief position; elevated: lofty: eminent; distinguished; foremost; principal; as, great men; the great seal; the great marshal, etc.
He doth object I am too great of birth.
Great
Entitled to earnest consideration; weighty; important; as, a great argument, truth, or principle.
Great
Pregnant; big (with young).
The ewes great with young.
Great
More than ordinary in degree; very considerable in degree; as, to use great caution; to be in great pain.
We have allGreat cause to give great thanks.
Great
Older, younger, or more remote, by single generation; - often used before grand to indicate one degree more remote in the direct line of descent; as, great-grandfather (a grandfather's or a grandmother's father), great-grandson, etc.
Great
The whole; the gross; as, a contract to build a ship by the great.
Great
Relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind;
A great juicy steak
A great multitude
The great auk
A great old oak
A great ocean liner
A great delay
Great
More than usual;
Great expectations
Great worry
Great
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation;
Our distinguished professor
An eminent scholar
A great statesman
Great
Of major significance or importance;
A great work of art
Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th century
Great
Remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect;
A great crisis
Had a great stake in the outcome
Great
Very good;
He did a bully job
A neat sports car
Had a great time at the party
You look simply smashing
Great
Uppercase;
Capital A
Great A
Many medieval manuscripts are in majuscule script
Great
Marked by active interest and enthusiasm;
An avid sports fan
A great walker
An eager beaver
Great
In an advanced stage of pregnancy;
Was big with child
Was great with child
Common Curiosities
What are some synonyms for "great"?
Some synonyms for "great" include "excellent", "outstanding", and "remarkable".
Can "grateful" be used to describe objects?
"Grateful" is not typically used to describe objects as it refers to an emotional response.
What does it mean to feel grateful?
Feeling grateful means experiencing a sense of thankfulness and appreciation, typically towards a person or for a specific act.
Is "grateful" always used in positive contexts?
Yes, "grateful" is always used in positive contexts as it conveys appreciation and thankfulness for kindness or benefits received.
What are examples of how "great" can be used as an adverb?
"Great" can be used as an adverb to enhance another adjective or adverb, for instance, "He performed greatly in the competition," emphasizing the high level of performance.
Can "great" be used in a negative context?
Yes, "great" can be used in negative contexts when referring to the magnitude of something undesirable, such as "a great disaster."
Can "grateful" be considered a formal term?
"Grateful" can be considered somewhat formal, especially in written communication, but it is also widely used in casual speech to express thanks.
How is the word "great" commonly used?
"Great" is commonly used to describe something of high quality, large size, or high degree; it can also amplify other adjectives.
How do the contexts differ when using "grateful" vs. "great"?
"Grateful" is used in personal and emotional contexts, often in response to kindness, whereas "great" is more versatile, describing anything from feelings to objects, depending on its high quality or size.
In what scenarios is "grateful" most commonly used?
"Grateful" is most commonly used in personal or emotional scenarios where an individual wishes to express thankfulness to another person or for a specific situation.
Are there any common phrases or idioms involving "great"?
Yes, there are common phrases such as "great minds think alike" or "the great outdoors," which showcase the word's versatility and cultural significance.
How does the emotional depth compare between "grateful" and "great"?
"Grateful" carries a deep emotional depth as it directly pertains to feelings of thankfulness, whereas "great" can vary in emotional depth, often used to describe severity or high standards more generally.
What are cultural implications of using "grateful"?
Culturally, using "grateful" often reflects good manners and a polite acknowledgment of another's kindness, which can strengthen social bonds and personal connections.
What is the difference in usage frequency between "grateful" and "great"?
"Great" is used more frequently and broadly across different contexts compared to "grateful," which is more specific to expressing thankfulness.
Does the usage of "great" imply a comparison?
Often, the usage of "great" does imply a comparison, suggesting that something or someone is significantly better or larger than average or normal standards.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
