thank

verb

ˈthaŋk 

thanked; thanking; thanks

transitive verb

1

: to express gratitude to

thanked her for the present

—used in the phrase thank you usually without a subject to politely express gratitude

thank you for your consideration

or sometimes to emphasize a preceding statement especially by implying that it is not subject to question

likes her job just fine, thank you

—used in such phrases as thank God, thank goodness usually without a subject to express gratitude or more often only the speaker's or writer's pleasure or satisfaction in something

2

: to hold responsible

had only himself to thank for his loss

thanker noun

Examples of thank in a Sentence

I want to thank everyone who helped today.

There's no need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same.

Recent Examples on the Web

So, thank you Google for giving users a choice between sizes without having to sacrifice performance. —Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

Earlier Tuesday, Min took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to thank and encourage his supporters. —Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024

Although he’s never been a ham (most of the stage banter was thank yous and recognizing the musicians and crew), Gilmour’s charisma shined during the songs. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024

Why does Iris thank Richard at the end of the movie? —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English thancian; akin to Old English thanc gratitude — more at thanks

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thank

• have (someone or something) to thank for (something)
• thank God/goodness/heaven(s)/the Lord
• thank one's lucky stars
• thank-you
• thank-you-ma'am

Kids Definition

thank

verb

ˈthaŋk 

1

: to express gratitude to

thanked her for the present

2

: to hold responsible

had only myself to thank for my loss