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

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Synonyms & Antonyms for thankless

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 Public works takes on the vital and often thankless work of maintaining the bedrock functions of this city — the drinking water, the sewers, the streets. — Star Tribune, 28 May 2021 The beginnings of a coaching career can be thankless. — Dan Labbe, cleveland, 25 May 2021 Bobby Cannavale and Pom Klementieff try to camp up villains who barely register as presences, while Melissa Leo plays a character so thankless that her eventual betrayal is basically broadcast from the start. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2021 And that’s probably fine unless next year’s producers can convince someone to take on this thankless job. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2021 Again, as expected, rather than continuing to fight the thankless war against the woke mob, Azaria simply raised the white flag of surrender. — Pradheep J. Shanker, National Review, 18 Apr. 2021 As her foil, Spencer is stuck in a fairly thankless role as the straitlaced straight woman, her aptitude for wisecracking and comedic timing subsumed to McCarthy's wilder energy. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2021 Being Black in corporate America is a thankless job. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 Apr. 2021 Boulley worked in education in Native communities for her entire adult life, doing the often thankless labor that keeps communities going. — Jenny Singer, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2021

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.