thank
Americanverb (used with object)
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thanks,
present (3rd person singular)
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thanked,
past participle, past
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thanking
present participle
noun
interjection
idioms
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no thanks to, (used to express annoyance) not owing to.
I caught my flight after all, no thanks to you.
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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.
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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.
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thank you, (used as an interjection to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment, as for a gift, favor, service, or courtesy).
verb
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to convey feelings of gratitude to
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to hold responsible
he has his creditors to thank for his bankruptcy
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used in exclamations of relief
thank goodness
thank God
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used ironically to intensify a command, request, etc
I'll thank you to mind your own business
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thanksimple
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thankssimple
-
have thankedperfect
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has thankedperfect
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am thankingprogressive
-
are thankingprogressive
-
is thankingprogressive
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have been thankingperfect progressive
-
has been thankingperfect progressive
Past
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thankedsimple
-
had thankedperfect
-
was thankingprogressive
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were thankingprogressive
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had been thankingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Governor, thank you for taking the time to talk.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
"Her sewing machine was there. She was in tears because it's broken now. So, well, it's a tragedy. But in my family everyone is alive and for that I thank God," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
People often line up to shake her hand and thank her for taking on this fight when she is at events.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
In a post after his death she wrote "thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I'm forever proud of you".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
I just wish Ms. Pearl and Sparkle were here so I could thank them.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
And thanks to Dame Esther relaying his story to viewers on That's Life!, millions of people are now aware of the huge impact Sir Nicholas had.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Friedland did knock $300 off her bill at a luxe hotel in Cork this summer thanks to her American Express hotel credit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The broadcaster revealed her cancer diagnosis in January 2023, saying the news had prompted her to express "profound thanks to everyone who has made my life so joyful".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Swift, now with 32 Moon Person statues, showed her thanks during the ceremony by debuting the music video for her new single, “Patient Zero.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
I had to take a moment and give thanks.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
In a post following the video’s debut, Swift thanked her friends and collaborators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Defence Minister Wes Streeting thanked "emergency and specialist teams" deployed to the scene.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
In the book’s acknowledgments, Kars thanked the Sablonière family for giving her access to its private archive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
The MSP added her focus remained on serving her community, and thanked her friends, colleagues and constituents for their kindness and support.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
“For the homework. I never thanked you for bringing it over. I ended up taking the math quiz today because I’ve been out all week.”
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
The three-time Olympian said she was “in bed resting” and would “explain sooner or later” what had led to her hospitalization, while thanking the people closest to her for their support.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, while thanking emergency personnel for their work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Her palpable joy thanking “Pluribus” creator Vince Gilligan, wiping away tears, is one reason why we keep watching the ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
In 2024, she shared a post on Instagram thanking her paediatric medical team who looked after her as a young person.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Now, after thanking the men and shutting the door behind her, Mother was overcome by worry that quickly turned into rage.
From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat
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.
