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
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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
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has been thankingperfect progressive
Past
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thankedsimple
-
had thankedperfect
-
was thankingprogressive
-
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:
I thank everyone who helps defend Ukraine and advances clear, fair steps toward peace!
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
We take full accountability for the weight of our harmful words, and we thank Columbia’s Native American Council, as well as other members of the community, for bringing this to our attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
But thank you very much, Nebraska, for Fred Astaire, Johnny Carson and Henry Fonda, who, by the way, was born in Grand Island, where Trump made his cracks Monday about California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
“We thank you for the people that you put on the Earth to make change,” one of them said.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I can’t thank you enough for all of this. For what you and your dad are doing for us.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Asian economies including Taiwan and South Korea are booming thanks to the AI trade.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Givaudan said its sales growth momentum accelerated in the first nine months of the year, thanks to a sustained strong performance in its fragrance-and-beauty business and improving trends in its taste-and-wellbeing segment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
This was the first game that Broncos coach Sean Payton took over playcalling duties and — thanks in large part to the Chargers’ defense — his team fell far short of overwhelming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
It’s a well-oiled machine, moving at a perfectly amiable pace thanks to Madison and White’s lead performances alongside a host of quippy, Sorkin-style side characters.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Krukoslik hung his spoon on his’ belt, and went to kneel by the small fire at the entrance to the shelter, where he murmured a brief prayer of thanks.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
While accepting the honor, the comedian thanked his daughter, Jane, and grandson, Jackson, before referring to Ah as his “sublime companion” and declaring his love for her.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Shortly afterwards, the 85-year-old reacted to the news from Nuremberg's Palace of Justice by saying "it must be a joke" and thanked those who had gathered to applaud her.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
When he returned to the workshop, he thanked colleagues for the gear that saved his life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Lee said he thanked Strada for "his willingness to put the interests of Tennesseans first during this difficult moment."
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
I thanked her, gathered up my books, thanked her again, and let another bookstore person guide me to the cash register.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
After giving flowers to the cast and thanking the audience for showing up, Glyman delivered a line that earned him ample cheers far beyond the rows of yellow-lanyard–sporting Ramp employees seated near me.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
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
She continued thanking celebity hairstylist David Stanwell for brightening up her “cloudy day.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
"There's a lot of families here today that have been thanking me for achieving this memorial so I'm incredibly grateful."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
"What you thanking me for?" he asked Noodles.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
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.
