ingratitude

noun

in·​grat·​i·​tude (ˌ)in-ˈgra-tə-ˌtüd How to pronounce ingratitude (audio)
-ˌtyüd
Synonyms of ingratitudenext
: forgetfulness of or poor return for kindness received : ungratefulness

Synonyms of ingratitude

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of ingratitude in a Sentence

their daughter's ingratitude for all that they have done for her is truly appalling
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Most coverage has framed this as Gen Z anxiety or ingratitude. — Philomena V. Mantella, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026 For Markus, who was taken in by Viktor when his father died, ignoring the Bala name is an act of profound ingratitude. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025 But if Salieri can only see Mozart’s ingratitude and arrogance, Amadeus strays just far enough from his perspective to paint a fuller portrait. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 But even to seem to scorn a day in the 80s in July in the nation’s would appear to show meteorological ingratitude. — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 19 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for ingratitude

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin ingratitudo, from Latin in- + Late Latin gratitudo gratitude

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ingratitude was in the 14th century

Rhymes for ingratitude

See All Rhymes for ingratitude

Browse Nearby Words

ingratiatory
ingratitude
ingravescent
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ingratitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingratitude. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

ingratitude

noun
in·​grat·​i·​tude (ˈ)in-ˈgrat-ə-ˌt(y)üd How to pronounce ingratitude (audio)
: lack of gratitude

Legal Definition

ingratitude

noun
in·​grat·​i·​tude
: forgetfulness of or lack of appreciation for kindness or especially a gift received

Note: Under the civil law of Louisiana, a gift may be revoked on the ground of ingratitude if the recipient of the gift tries to kill the person who gave the gift, is guilty of cruelly mistreating or injuring the giver, or refuses the giver food when it is needed.

More from Merriam-Webster on ingratitude

Nglish: Translation of ingratitude for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All