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

Some issues have yet to be resolved — like whether Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby has the mental capacity to continue his thankless job as the attending physician, if Patrick Ball’s Langdon deserves to keep his job and whether Katherine LaNasa’s Dana has worked her last day as the unofficial den mother. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025

Motivational speaking is hard, often thankless work, with most practitioners scraping by in front of luncheon crowds in Holiday Inn conference rooms. —Clay Risen, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Fillers are also critical in performing a dozen other thankless jobs to help get some of our favorite foods to the table. —Ali Bouzari, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

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

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