thankless

adjective

thank·less | \ˈthaŋk-ləs

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

Other Words from thankless Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about thankless

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Synonyms & Antonyms for thankless

Synonyms

unappreciated, ungrateful

Antonyms

appreciated

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

Jason Seaman represents the best of us, an adult with brains and talent who chose a mostly thankless career with long hours and little pay. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: As Noblesville hero Jason Seaman heals, a community heals with him," 28 May 2018 Among the more ridiculous elements in the script: the extent to which Diane’s adult daughters (Alicia Silverstone and Katie Aselton, in thankless parts) treat her like a child who’s unable to care for herself. — Jocelyn Noveck, Detroit Free Press, "Review: Uneven ‘Book Club’ is both sweet and hokey," 17 May 2018 Typically, though, Holaday’s role is a thankless one. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Inside the thankless yet essential routine of Marlins backup catcher Bryan Holaday," 10 July 2018 Basketball officials have a hard job on the best of days and, at times, a tough, thankless and abuse-laden lot. — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "NCAA's lash leaves no mark on U of L's women's coach Jeff Walz," 26 May 2018 Charles Rettig, a California tax lawyer who specializes in defending wealthy clients in complex cases, is poised to get one of the most thankless jobs in government. — Richard Rubin, WSJ, "Senate Panel to Meet on Trump’s IRS Pick," 22 June 2018 Resentful Brady Mom Dear Resentful: Being a stepparent is a generally thankless job. — Amy Dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Kids in 'Brady Bunch' family retreat to their corners," 23 Mar. 2018 To sideline him, Greenwood proposed what seemed a thankless task: reviewing Britain’s social-insurance schemes. — The Economist, "The welfare state needs updating," 12 July 2018 These are the Baltimoreans who do the often thankless and unrecognized work of making Baltimore brighter, healthier, better. — Quinn Kelley, baltimoresun.com, "It’s easy to feel disenchanted with Baltimore. It’s much easier to remember why we love it.," 13 Apr. 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.