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

thanklessly adverb

thanklessness noun

Synonyms

• unappreciative
• ungrateful

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

Fronting famously unserious people must be a thankless job for serious musicians. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025

Being the family arbitrator is a thankless job; the pay is lousy. —Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2025

Workman, by contrast, is doing her best in a thankless role (jokes about American obnoxiousness and ditziness: check), but she feels hemmed in by a script full of stereotypes and a director who wants everything at eleven. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2024

Reporter Molly Davis took a deep look at local restaurants' work to help support employees' mental health in what can be a demanding and often thankless job. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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