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
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are thankingprogressive
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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
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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:
Mystery Vacations, a U.K.-based online travel agency that coordinates the packages, offers gift cards as a thank you when customers post about their trips online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Sticking it to the man in a way that the man might not even notice and might even say thank you for.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"We thank God we are out," a gaunt-looking victim, Hajara, said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
On behalf of the Pye family, we would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support at this incredibly sad time.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
I slow down a little, and Jonah huffs out, “Oh, thank God,” as he slows down, too.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Today, of course, the debate has become livelier and more immediate thanks to Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film "The Odyssey".
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The company has not disclosed its target for Luce sales but, according to a Financial Times report, it has hit this year's goal thanks to strong demand from China.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The EIA showed a surprise — and major — build in U.S. commercial inventories of oil, thanks to fewer crude exports and a jump in imports, mostly from Venezuela.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
She acknowledges there’s a bit of irony in her AI fears given she has been able to build a side hustle with blue-collar-themed content thanks to social-media platforms reliant on algorithms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Those ruffians are in jail, thanks to you. They never saw it coming.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
In another post, the elderly man's son thanked the police for responding to the matter quickly, adding that he sincerely hoped "justice will be served for my father".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He also thanked the US for $26.5 million in aid and the support of its rescue teams, as well as Israel for sending humanitarian assistance and rescuers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Office actress Lucy Davis has thanked fans for their "kindness and support" after revealing she has incurable breast cancer.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
In 2020, when Dr. Phil celebrated a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he thanked Winfrey in his speech, saying she has mentored him and moved him forward in life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Finished with breakfast, I thanked Big Gen and hurried out to the barn.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Ebullient migrants on Thursday were walking through the streets of Ceuta, thanking the Spanish police and calling out: "Bye bye Morocco, hello Spain."
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
There were tears from some of Sir Keir's closest allies, with the outgoing PM thanking his staff who he said had been "prepared to walk through fire for me".
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
"I've been spending a lot of time with my family. I'm dealing with a cancer diagnosis, and I've been getting treatment, and it's been going really well," he said, thanking his well-wishers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
In recent days, Rodríguez has been visiting field hospitals and thanking a list of some 30 foreign nations for health aid after the disaster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The next day I knocked on Mr. Smith’s door to tell him about my acceptance, thanking him for his help.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
