thankless

adjective

thank·​less ˈthaŋk-ləs 

1

: not likely to obtain thanks : unappreciated

a thankless task

2

: not expressing or feeling gratitude : ungrateful

how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child

—William Shakespeare

thanklessly adverb

thanklessness noun

Synonyms

• unappreciative
• ungrateful

Examples of thankless in a Sentence

a thankless boss who seems oblivious to the extra effort his subordinates have made

the thankless job of cleaning up after a party

Recent Examples on the Web

Record keeping is one of the most time consuming and thankless roles of a communications team. —Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024

Working for the Transportation Security Administration is a thankless job, especially during the holidays. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024

Theirs is in a way a thankless job, but an important one. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024

Resilience: These are tough jobs, and presidents often face thankless situations. —Charles L. Welch, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

thankless

adjective

thank·​less ˈthaŋ-kləs 

1

: not appreciated by others

a thankless job

2

: not showing or feeling gratitude

thanklessly adverb

thanklessness noun