thank
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
interjection
idioms
-
no thanks to, (used to express annoyance) not owing to.
I caught my flight after all, no thanks to you.
-
thanks to, (used to express gratitude or blame) because of; owing to.
Thanks to good organization and hard work, the benefit concert was a great success.
The case went poorly thanks to the lawyer's incompetence.
-
thank God, (used as an interjection to express relief, thankfulness, etc.) Also thank goodness, thank heaven
-
have oneself to thank, to be personally to blame; have the responsibility.
The citizens have only themselves to thank for corruption in government.
-
thank you, (used as an interjection to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment, as for a gift, favor, service, or courtesy).
verb
-
to convey feelings of gratitude to
-
to hold responsible
he has his creditors to thank for his bankruptcy
-
used in exclamations of relief
thank goodness
thank God
-
used ironically to intensify a command, request, etc
I'll thank you to mind your own business
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have thankedperfect
-
has thankedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have been thankingperfect progressive
-
am thankingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is thankingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been thankingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are thankingprogressive
-
thankingparticiple
-
thankssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had thankedperfect
-
was thankingprogressive singular
-
were thankingprogressive plural
-
had been thankingperfect progressive
-
thankedparticiple
-
thankedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of thank
First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun) “favorable thought, goodwill, gratitude,” (in singular and plural) expression of thanks; Old English thanc (in singular) expression of thanks, originally, “thought, thoughtfulness”; akin to think 1
Explanation
When you thank someone, you tell them how grateful or appreciative you are. You'll definitely thank your friends if they get together and throw you a fabulous surprise party for your birthday. If you appreciate something, like friendly, quick service at a restaurant or a stranger's generosity, you'll want to say, "Thanks!" Saying "thanks" or "thank you" is just one way to thank someone: you can also write a grateful note, leave a tip, or bake them cupcakes. People sometimes say, "Thank goodness!" when they're relieved that some disaster was averted.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That means we have Nvidia to thank not just for semiconductors, but ongoing consumer spending as well.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
“I want to thank the Dodgers organization,” Baker said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
“I thank you guys for having the vision to go, there’s only one way to do the next ‘Scary Movie,’ and that’s to bring the Wayans family back.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
He should really thank the business decisions of CEO Lip-Bu Tan—whom he had earlier called to resign—and insatiable demand for chips by AI hyperscalers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
I straighten the brim of the new running hat I bought with Dad’s gift certificate, which is not suffocating my scalp, thank goodness, but it does keep riding down my forehead.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
