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
-
no thanks to, (used to express annoyance) not owing to.
I caught my flight after all, no thanks to you.
-
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.
-
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
-
to convey feelings of gratitude to
-
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
-
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
-
thankedsimple
-
had thankedperfect
-
was thankingprogressive
-
were thankingprogressive
-
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:
Some raised their upset at the fact the end-of-season decision had denied fans the chance to thank Anderson for his service to the county and celebrate his career.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
"He will also pay tribute to and thank the internal security forces that helped restore republican order," the presidency said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
And thank you to Demetria Gallegos for filling in over the past few weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
“When you turn on your water, and when you wash your hair in the shower, you can thank a Paiute for that water,” she said.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
“So, thank you. I guess. Is what I’m trying to say.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Companies are also finding ways to do more with less thanks to AI and other technologies, putting the U.S. on the cusp of what some economists predict will be an extended phase of rising productivity.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
SK hynix, which has been at the forefront of the chip boom, said Wednesday that third-quarter operating profit soared 632 percent to US$62.8 billion thanks to explosive demand for its advanced semiconductors.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
It was the third home she’d owned; she bought her first at 20, thanks to subprime mortgages and help from her grandfather.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
In her memoir, Yes Please, she thanks her parents for always clapping when she roller skated in the driveway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
“I blamed it on the extra sandwiches we packed. Still, we made it to England swiftly, thanks to favorable winds.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
António Costa, president of the European Council, thanked Lagarde for her dedication and said the bloc will immediately begin the process of choosing her replacement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
She thanked me for correcting her and said, “Sí, sí, nerviosa.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Camila Minerva Rodriguez Tavarez, the Dominican co-chair of the board, called the outcome "truly historic" and thanked members for "allowing us to act promptly and have a response to Nepal."
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Police have thanked the patience and support of residents and said communities may notice an "increased police presence" as the investigation continues.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
They touched her gently, took photos, and thanked Neel and his father again and again.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
Peptide company executives and trade groups cheered the news Wednesday, publicly thanking Kennedy and President Trump for what they say is a win for patient control over their medical care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
It was the student’s mother, thanking him for turning around her entire household’s financial life.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
It has been celebrated for its unexpected boost to the local economy, with Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo thanking it for generating publicity he said would otherwise have cost "trillions".
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Crawford concluded the post by thanking photographer Sebastián Faena for taking the image of Gerber, which appears to have angel wings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Which is where I left Valentina with a note toKhyler and Hennessey, thanking them for what basically amounted to sacrificing her for my cause.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
