thankless
/'θæɳklis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not likely to be rewarded or appreciated: Describing a task, duty, or role that is necessary but unlikely to receive gratitude or recognition for the effort involved.
- Not feeling or showing gratitude: Describing a person who is ungrateful; lacking in thankfulness.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- Cleaning up after the festival is a thankless job that no one volunteers for.
- The manager had the thankless task of informing the team about the pay freeze.
- In the story, the king was betrayed by his thankless subjects.
Advanced Usage
- "a thankless task": A common collocation emphasizing work that is necessary but unappreciated.
- Parenting can sometimes feel like a thankless task, but it is full of invisible rewards.
Variants and Related Words
- Thanklessly (adverb): In a manner that is not appreciated or rewarded.
- He worked thanklessly for years before his contributions were acknowledged.
- Thanklessness (noun): The state or quality of being thankless.
- The thanklessness of the work led to high staff turnover.
Synonyms
- Ungrateful: Not feeling or showing thanks.
- Unappreciated: Not valued or thanked.
- Unrewarding: Not providing satisfaction or benefit.
Antonyms
- Grateful: Feeling or showing thanks.
- Appreciated: Recognized as valuable and thanked.
- Rewarding: Providing satisfaction or benefit.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A thankless chore: Similar to "a thankless task," referring to a tedious duty that goes unappreciated.
- Taking out the trash is a thankless chore in our household.
Adjective
- not likely to be rewarded
- grading papers is a thankless task
- not feeling or showing gratitude
- ungrateful heirs
- How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is / To have a thankless child!- Shakespeare