thank-you

American

[thangk-yoo] / ˈθæŋkˌyu /

adjective

expressing one's gratitude or thanks.

a thank-you note.

noun

an expression of thanks, as by saying “thank you”.

I never got so much as a thank-you for helping him.

thank you British

interjection

a conventional expression of gratitude

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of thank-you

1785–95 thank-you for def. 2; noun and adj. use of verb phrase thank you

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.

“I noticed you cashed the check 10 days after the wedding. It’s a shame you didn’t run as fast to the post office to send a thank-you note as you did to the bank.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

She posted a simple question, and her thank-you to the first person who answered was misconstrued as sarcastic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

They’re the core values of a real Midwesterner, who doesn’t leave a store, restaurant or party without a hearty thank-you and a smile.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

I experienced a secondhand childhood shiver of being prompted to write a thank-you note.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

Vincent invented games for the younger children, and one day they had so much fun that Anna, Theo, and Lies declared the most beautiful rosebush in the garden now belonged to Vincent, a thank-you gift.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023