ingrate
Americannoun
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ingrate
1350–1400; Middle English ingrat < Latin ingrātus ungrateful. See in- 3, grateful
Explanation
If your kind act of buying a donut for your friend gets you nothing but a complaint that the chocolate icing looks runny, then it sounds like your pal is an ingrate, someone who is not thankful for others' kindness. The noun ingrate comes for the Latin word ingratus, a combination of in-, meaning “not,” and gratus, or “grateful.” That pretty much sums up an ingrate: not grateful. It describes someone who tends to act this way in general, rarely acknowledging others' generosity, or even worse, seeming to expect special treatment. You can tell someone is an ingrate by what isn't said: "thank you" and "I appreciate what you've done for me."
Vocabulary lists containing ingrate
Negatives with "in"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: October 1 - 6, 2017
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
He spoke of his estrangement from the game, of how, because of his refusal to indulge in the celebrations it offered him, he was viewed in some quarters as an ingrate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2022
Pound may have been an ingrate, but the gratitude of generations will always be due Hall, for remembering.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 24, 2021
What kind of ingrate brings large quantities of prohibited food into a situation like this?
From Slate ● Mar. 9, 2021
That outraged Fleetwood’s parents as well as hers, who all viewed her as an ingrate who didn’t appreciate the rich life she’d been given.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 30, 2020
“And just when he had gotten it to the point of learning to eat nothing at all, the ingrate up and died. I suppose you have heard that story?”
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
To Villanueva, all the litigation, as well as the senior officials who have gone on medical leave, are just more examples of him being wronged by ingrates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2022
Now, as the father of two magical little ingrates myself, I recognize the enormity of my past behavior but also sympathize with why he may have let it slide.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2021
So they feel they've got these ingrates who are their subjects, who are providing no level of appreciation for how much pain they have endured.
From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2020
We should also be ingrates and ask: Could he have run faster?
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2017
If such ingrates exist below, They ne'er can feel the sacred glow, That Nature and the Muse bestow, To cheer the gloom of mourning.
From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume V. The Songs of Scotland of the Past Half Century by Rogers, Charles
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.
