ungrateful
Americanadjective
-
unappreciative; not displaying gratitude; not giving due return or recompense for benefits conferred.
ungrateful heirs.
-
unpleasant; distasteful; repellent.
an ungrateful task.
adjective
-
not grateful or thankful
-
unrewarding or unpleasant; thankless
-
(of land) failing to increase fertility in response to cultivation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ungrateful
Explanation
Someone who's ungrateful isn't thankful or appreciative. Your grandmother might think you're ungrateful if you don't send her a handwritten thank you note for the birthday gift she gave you. You are ungrateful if you're unhappy with your neighbor's contribution to your yard sale — a big old television that doesn't work. Your neighbor, in turn, is ungrateful if he accepts the chocolate chip cookies you baked without even saying, "Thanks." The prefix un here means "not," and grateful comes from a now obsolete adjective, grate, "agreeable or thankful," from the Latin root gratus, "pleasing."
Vocabulary lists containing ungrateful
"Tribute to the Dog," Vocabulary from the speech
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Milkweed
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
We Were Liars
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
He said his mother sued him this year in a land ownership dispute under Thailand's "ungrateful child" law, which allows parents to reclaim assets previously given to children deemed unappreciative through their behaviour.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Related: My rude, ungrateful relative gave her lawyer power of attorney — and has lived to regret it.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026
To a devoted friend, such as Edward FitzGerald, the translator of the “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám,” who supported him for years, Tennyson could be rude, cold and ungrateful.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Online comments have been predictably divided: while some have called him "spoiled" and "ungrateful" towards David and Victoria Beckham, others have applauded the 26-year-old for standing up for himself and prioritising his mental health.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026
‘He has been so kind to us, darling. You must try very hard not to be ungrateful, or impolite to him. It is only a question of a little thought before speaking.’
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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.
