thankless

adjective thank·less \ ˈthaŋk-ləs \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of thankless

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

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thanklessly

adverb

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thanklessness

noun

See thankless defined for English-language learners

See thankless defined for kids

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 of thankless from the Web

This was a thankless task for O’Neal, for no one can match Tatum’s superhuman keyboard virtuosity, any more than any singer can re-create Ella Fitzgerald’s extraordinary vocal flights or Frank Sinatra’s interpretive insights.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "The many facets of Johnny O'Neal play out at Winter’s Jazz Club," 1 Apr. 2018
But civic activism is in many ways thankless work: long hours, little pay and time-consuming, says Levinson, who adds that the students are still kids who have school and college to think about and deserve some level of normalcy.

— christal hayes, USA TODAY, "'We're not backing down': One month after shooting, Parkland student movement picking up steam," 14 Mar. 2018
The job includes many thankless tasks, including cleaning toilets.

— andrew reiner, Washington Post, "Life’s stresses often sink me. Here’s how I decided to change that.," 4 Feb. 2018
And, more than anyone, San Diego Music Foundation founder Hellman has devoted countless hours to this largely thankless task.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Music Awards will, once again, delight and frustrate attendees," 15 Mar. 2018
Thompson has made more headlines by caring for his dog than by pouting over his changing, and sometimes thankless, role.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "With Splash Brothers Injured, Warriors Should Enter Shutdown Mode," 14 Mar. 2018
If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Rettig will take one of the most thankless jobs in Washington...Mr.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Is Trump driving the stock market selloff?," 6 Feb. 2018
Giving a response to a State of the Union is difficult and often thankless work.

— CBS News, "Everything to know about the State of the Union address," 30 Jan. 2018
Sometimes the original owner of the drone goes back inside, leaving a parent to continue the long and thankless search.

— faine greenwood, Slate Magazine, "Merry Crashmas," 3 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thankless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of thankless

15th century

thankless Synonyms

THANKLESS Defined for English Language Learners

thankless

adjective

Definition of thankless for English Language Learners

: difficult and not valued by other people
: not showing or feeling thanks

THANKLESS Defined for Kids

thankless

adjective thank·less \ ˈthaŋk-ləs \

Definition of thankless for Students

1 : ungrateful

2 : not appreciated

It's a necessary but thankless job.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for thankless Spanish Central: Translation of thankless Nglish: Translation of thankless for Spanish speakers

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thankless

Definition of thankless

thanklessly

thanklessness

Examples of thankless in a Sentence

Recent Examples of thankless from the Web

First Known Use of thankless

thankless Synonyms

Synonyms

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THANKLESS Defined for English Language Learners

thankless

Definition of thankless for English Language Learners

THANKLESS Defined for Kids

thankless

Definition of thankless for Students

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