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

Serving as a voluntary member of a community association’s board of directors has often been called a thankless job. —Roberto C. Blanch, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025

The party has tapped freshman Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan to deliver the formal rebuttal, an often thankless task that can still elevate a junior politician’s profile. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025

The Carnegie Museum of Art’s posthumous acquisition was, symbolically, a rewarding payoff for an often thankless job. —Robert Alan Grand, ARTnews.com, 7 Feb. 2025

After the plan was finalized in 2016, Scofield faced the thankless task of balancing clean energy with a wide range of competing interests — not just conservation but also hiking, camping, off-roading, mining and more. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025

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