thank

[thangk]

verb (used with object)

1. to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to.

   She thanked them for their hospitality.

noun

1. Usually thanks a grateful feeling or acknowledgment of a benefit, favor, or the like, expressed by words or otherwise.

   to return a borrowed book with thanks.

interjection

1. thanks, (used as an informal expression of gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment).

thank

/ θæŋk /

verb

1. to convey feelings of gratitude to

2. to hold responsible

   he has his creditors to thank for his bankruptcy

3. used in exclamations of relief

   thank goodness

   thank God

4. used ironically to intensify a command, request, etc

   I'll thank you to mind your own business

Other Word Forms

• thanker noun
• rethank verb (used with object)
• unthanked adjective
• unthanking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of thank¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of thank¹

Old English thancian; related to Old Frisian thankia, Old Norse thakka, Old Saxon, Old High German thancōn

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. no thanks to, (used to express annoyance) not owing to.

   I caught my flight after all, no thanks to you.

2. 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.

3. thank God, (used as an interjection to express relief, thankfulness, etc.) Also thank goodness, thank heaven

4. have oneself to thank, to be personally to blame; have the responsibility.

   The citizens have only themselves to thank for corruption in government.

5. thank you, (used as an interjection to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment, as for a gift, favor, service, or courtesy).

More idioms and phrases containing thank

• give thanks for small blessings

Example Sentences

Tenev had set out for a family trip to Maui to clear his head, but thanks to a lengthy flight delay, he arrived exhausted.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A couple who decided to save their local church took just two days to raise the money to make the purchase - thanks to donations from well-wishers around the world.

Read more on BBC

But thanks to a quirk of coincidence, she ended up having a front-row seat to history.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Weekly jobless claims will also figure prominently as well, particularly because it’s a very timely data set that was still available during the pandemic thanks to state data.

Read more on Barron's

Far from limiting itself to bibliographic endeavors, the library began to think of itself as a research institution in the late 19th century, thanks to librarians of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford and Herbert Putnam.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acknowledge 
• kiss 
• praise