thank

[ thangk ]

verb (used with object)

1. to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to:

   She thanked them for their hospitality.

noun

1. Usually thanks. a grateful feeling or acknowledgment of a benefit, favor, or the like, expressed by words or otherwise:

   to return a borrowed book with thanks.

interjection

1. thanks, (used as an informal expression of gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment).

thank

/ θæŋk /

verb

1. to convey feelings of gratitude to
2. to hold responsible

   he has his creditors to thank for his bankruptcy

3. used in exclamations of relief

   thank God

   thank goodness

4. I'll thank you to
   used ironically to intensify a command, request, etc

   I'll thank you to mind your own business

Other Words From

• thanker noun
• re·thank verb (used with object)
• un·thanked adjective
• un·thanking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of thank¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun) “favorable thought, goodwill, gratitude,” (in singular and plural) expression of thanks; Old English thanc (in singular) expression of thanks, originally, “thought, thoughtfulness”; akin to think ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of thank¹

Old English thancian; related to Old Frisian thankia, Old Norse thakka, Old Saxon, Old High German thancōn

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. have oneself to thank, to be personally to blame; have the responsibility:

   The citizens have only themselves to thank for corruption in government.

2. no thanks to, (used to express annoyance) not owing to:

   I caught my flight after all, no thanks to you.

3. thank God, (used as an interjection to express relief, thankfulness, etc.) Also thank goodness, thank heaven.
4. thank you, (used as an interjection to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment, as for a gift, favor, service, or courtesy).
5. thanks to, (used to express gratitude or blame) because of; owing to:

   Thanks to good organization and hard work, the benefit concert was a great success.

   The case went poorly thanks to the lawyer's incompetence.

More idioms and phrases containing thank

• give thanks for small blessings

Example Sentences

Shears went on to thank his family, friends, collaborators — and the show’s eponymous evangelist, whose life rights John and his husband, David Furnish, acquired 12 years ago.

From Los Angeles Times

I thanked her for being courageous and trusting that she’d instilled in me the tools, the qualities, the values that would allow me to thrive out there and come back.

From Los Angeles Times

It thanked the federal department for its work and said the health system shared its concerns about racial inequities in maternal care nationally.

From Los Angeles Times

Muscle growth and regeneration occurs thanks to a population of stem cells called satellite cells.

From Science Daily

“I was in a lot of pain and I remember hearing the air ambulance landing and I knew it was serious, but thank god they did, they saved my life,” he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• acknowledge
• kiss
• praise