thankless

American  

[thangk-lis] / ˈθæŋk lɪs /

adjective

1. not likely to be appreciated or rewarded; unappreciated.

   a thankless job.

   Synonyms:

   profitless, unrewarding, vain, unacknowledged

2. not feeling or expressing gratitude or appreciation; ungrateful.

   a thankless child.

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thankless British  

/ ˈθæŋklɪs /

adjective

1. receiving no thanks or appreciation

   a thankless job

2. ungrateful

   a thankless pupil

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Other Word Forms

• thanklessness
  noun
• thanklessly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of thankless

First recorded in 1530–40; thank + -less

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Explanation

When you do something that doesn't earn you any gratitude, you can call it thankless. Handing out parking tickets and giving unsolicited advice can both be thankless jobs. If no one says, "Thanks!" despite your hard work, your task was a thankless one. You can also describe the person who doesn't express gratitude that way—Shakespeare's King Lear famously did this by saying, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thankless

To Mona, this thankless part is the opportunity of a lifetime.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Serving as an executor is a time-consuming and thankless job, and you should be reimbursed for your time.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

As a society, Kalki says, we take mothers for granted and raising children is a thankless job.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

For a second-born daughter intended to inherit a life of thankless labor, the price might be worth it.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

She entered the fenced area and shooed the thankless chickens to one side, blocking them with a large board Papa kept just for cleaning day.

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

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Related Words

• fruitless
• futile
• unpleasant

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