1
as in ungrateful
not showing gratitude
a thankless boss who seems oblivious to the extra effort his subordinates have made
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unnoticed
not likely to be appreciated by those who benefit
the thankless job of cleaning up after a party
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thankless
For the thankless task of straight man, Reiner won two Emmys.
—
Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
The comedian joked that the middle phase of life is largely thankless.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025
Working in restaurants is physically, mentally and emotionally taxing and often thankless work.
—Jonathan Deutsch, The Conversation, 5 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, Glaser memorably hosted the Golden Globes, striking the balance for what can be an occasionally thankless gig.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thankless
Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
The comedian joked that the middle phase of life is largely thankless.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025
Working in restaurants is physically, mentally and emotionally taxing and often thankless work.
—Jonathan Deutsch, The Conversation, 5 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, Glaser memorably hosted the Golden Globes, striking the balance for what can be an occasionally thankless gig.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thankless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thankless
Adjective
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Every year, the Texas matriarch organizes her schedule around making the holidays amazing for her ungrateful adult kids and husband.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
9 Dec. 2025
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At the opposite end of the personality spectrum from Anne, Mary is described as spoiled and ungrateful.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Flory Bidunga’s emergence as an impactful shot blocker has not gone unnoticed by his Kansas men’s basketball teammates.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
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Peterson’s faith in the core group didn’t go unnoticed.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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To do so would be rude, politically perilous, insulting to our biggest trade partner and just plain weird.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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The interactions would last 30 seconds, maybe, and no one was rude.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Like Kevin Brown, the burly Reuschel was largely unappreciated during his time.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
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From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.—
John Bowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Apparently, the jabs and insults from his unappreciative guest kept coming.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
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Complaining about the food, comparing it to other meals, or ignoring efforts made by the host also comes across as disrespectful and unappreciative.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Thankless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thankless. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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