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 of thankless

• ungrateful
• rude
• unappreciative

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

Embarking upon a career with Cherry Creek Schools that can often be thankless but means a whole lot to them. — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026

Art de Roché Aston Villa Predicting Aston Villa’s strongest team and the starting XI for their season opener away to Brighton is a thankless task. — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Trying to do Elvira is setting yourself up for a thankless challenge. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026

These conflicts raged on through the pandemic, when the country was generally going insane, and in 2022, when President Joe Biden exercised his right to appoint a new chair, Rios took what was in effect a thankless cleanup job. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

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