thankless
adjective
thank·less
ˈthaŋk-ləs 
1
: not likely to obtain thanks : unappreciated
a thankless task
2
: not expressing or feeling gratitude : ungrateful
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
thanklessly
adverb
thanklessness
noun
Examples of thankless in a Sentence
a thankless boss who seems oblivious to the extra effort his subordinates have made
the thankless job of cleaning up after a party
Recent Examples on the Web
Young men who served in Vietnam, whether voluntarily or through the draft, were in a thankless spot.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 24 May 2026
Another thankless gig leads Ben to Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a nightclub singer with ties to Brendan Gleeson‘s Silvermane, a vicious mobster engaged in an increasingly heated conflict with the city’s mayor (Michael Kostroff).
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Her performance is uncanny, though the conception and function of the character — a mentally ill innocent who mostly sets other performers and society into relief — is thankless and the film’s weakest link.
—Vadim Rizov, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
If vice president of operations Chip Conway, a tireless worker in a thankless job, books the wrong hotel he will likely be forced to run back to Denver.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for thankless
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.
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 24 May 2026
Another thankless gig leads Ben to Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a nightclub singer with ties to Brendan Gleeson‘s Silvermane, a vicious mobster engaged in an increasingly heated conflict with the city’s mayor (Michael Kostroff).
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Her performance is uncanny, though the conception and function of the character — a mentally ill innocent who mostly sets other performers and society into relief — is thankless and the film’s weakest link.
—Vadim Rizov, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
If vice president of operations Chip Conway, a tireless worker in a thankless job, books the wrong hotel he will likely be forced to run back to Denver.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for thankless
Cite this Entry
“Thankless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thankless. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thankless
adjective
thank·less
ˈthaŋ-kləs
1
: not appreciated by others
a thankless job
2
: not showing or feeling gratitude
thanklessly
adverb
thanklessness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
