thankless

adjective thank·less \ ˈthaŋk-ləs \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: thankless in a Sentence

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

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
The thankless task of doing what can be done to mitigate Trumpian disruption must continue.

— ciara nugent, Time, "'An Unprecedented Scandal': How Newspapers Around the World Reacted to Trump's Behavior at the G-7 Summit," 11 June 2018
Fronted by engaging singer Catalina Garcia, the group had the thankless task of playing before a Bowl that was still filling up with festival fans.

— gail mitchell, Billboard, "Anthony Hamilton, Snarky Puppy and More Rock the Playboy Jazz Festival," 10 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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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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