1
as in ungrateful
not showing gratitude a thankless boss who seems oblivious to the extra effort his subordinates have made

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thankless His makeshift solution is a thankless job helping an art critic (a gloriously unhinged Tilda Swinton) assemble the works of her cryogenically frozen husband (RZA). Jason Bailey, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025 Sign up for Axios Communicators Scott Rosenberg Jan 8, 2025 - Business Zuckerberg and Meta say good riddance to fact-checking Distinguishing truth from falsehood is frustrating, endless, thankless work — and now Mark Zuckerberg is walking away from it. Ina Fried, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025 Trying to lead a fractious caucus with only a few votes to spare is always going to be a thankless job. The Editors, National Review, 2 Jan. 2025 Fronting famously unserious people must be a thankless job for serious musicians. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for thankless 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thankless
Adjective
  • But there’s more to the story than the ungrateful teen realizes.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Many shared their own experiences with ungrateful friends, while others offered blunt advice, including one user who didn't hold back.
    Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Fortunately, the guest managed to go unnoticed, despite their footwear failing them at the worst possible moment.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
  • If nothing else, the most unusual employment experiment in college hoops has not gone unnoticed.
    Brian Hamilton, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Harry would’ve been grumpy and rude, making brusque jokes about inane gender stereotypes and asking direct, invasive questions about anatomy.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Not wanting to be rude, the plumber welcomed Albert in.
    Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The lender may feel unappreciated, while the borrower might not even realize there's a problem—especially if expectations were never discussed.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Joe Biden had a ringside seat for Jimmy Carter’s presidency — its failures as well as its sometimes unappreciated successes.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Apparently, the jabs and insults from his unappreciative guest kept coming.
    Gil Macias, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Complaining about the food, comparing it to other meals, or ignoring efforts made by the host also comes across as disrespectful and unappreciative.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near thankless

Cite this Entry

“Thankless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thankless. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

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