Meaning 1
With conscious gratitude.
Reach for it when describing an action or response performed in a grateful spirit
She thankfully accepted the dry clothes offered by the rescue team.
Meaning 2
As a welcome indication that an undesirable outcome was avoided.
Reach for it when introducing good news or relief about what happened
Thankfully, the backup pump started before water reached the archive.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| everyday |
| |
| warm |
| |
| professional | ||
| literary |
everyday
with thanks
Fits when a concise closing or acknowledgment is needed
Careful The phrase is too formulaic for a vivid account of someone's gratitude.
warm
Fits when the person's felt appreciation is central
Careful Gratefully cannot normally introduce a fortunate event without a person doing the feeling.
professional
appreciatively
Fits when recognition of effort is visible but restrained
Careful Appreciatively sounds observational and may underplay heartfelt thanks.
everyday
Fits when chance prevented trouble and an informal tone fits
Careful Luckily can trivialize a serious escape or imply chance when planning caused the result.
everyday
to our relief
Fits when the emotional release should be explicit
Careful This phrase centers relief, not gratitude for help or good fortune.
warm
Fits when the welcome fact can sound light and positive
Careful Happily may suggest cheer rather than relief and can confuse the manner and sentence-adverb senses.
professional
Fits when good luck or a favorable outcome is the point
Careful Fortunately is emotionally neutral and does not signal anyone's gratitude.
literary
Fits when relief from suffering deserves strong emotional emphasis
Careful Mercifully is too dramatic for a small convenience.
smile thankfully
She smiled thankfully when the missing notebook was returned.
thankfully accept
The family thankfully accepted a room while their heating was repaired.
thankfully no one
Thankfully no one was inside the workshop when the roof panel fell.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Flame, not lame, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated
Your browser isn't saving lists, so this one will be cleared when you leave the page.