ungrateful

adjective

ˌən-ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce ungrateful (audio)
Definition of ungratefulnext
1
as in unnoticed
not likely to be appreciated by those who benefit the park's custodial staff has the ungrateful job of cleaning up after the Independence Day party is over

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rude
not showing gratitude although the food was being provided for free, the ungrateful recipients could not refrain from complaining that it was not to their liking

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ungrateful The president stomped on Cassidy’s electoral grave, describing the senator as ungrateful for previous support. — Jack Brook, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026 The president stomped on Cassidy's electoral grave, describing the senator as ungrateful for previous support. — ABC News, 17 May 2026 There has been a lot of talk about families going no contact –– it has been described as a rising trend of ungrateful adult children being cruel to aging parents or a younger generation setting boundaries with parents unwilling to treat their children with respect. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 10 May 2026 In Seasons 1-4, that vicar is Sidney Chambers (James Norton), a jazz enthusiast plagued by memories of WWII who offers unsolicited insights to gruff and initially ungrateful Det. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ungrateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungrateful
  1. unnoticed
  2. rude
  3. unappreciated
  4. thankless
  5. unappreciative
  6. thoughtless
Adjective
  • Everyday an employee makes a choice to continue working for a company, and that should not go unnoticed.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The weight of the titular role has not gone unnoticed to Minetree either.
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of unnoticed
Adjective
  • It’s considered rude to answer one’s phone on public transport or in a restaurant, for example.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
  • When healths were raised during the eighteenth century, it was considered rude or antisocial not to go along with them.
    — Brooke Barbier, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • Why do the courts care about our underowned and unappreciated funds?
    — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Rogie Vachon—Perhaps the most unappreciated goalie in NHL history and the first great player in Kings history.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of unappreciated
Adjective
  • This can be a thankless job at times, and a simple thank you or act of kindness can mean everything to the men and women who give so much for our city.
    — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • These conflicts raged on through the pandemic, when the country was generally going insane, and in 2022, when President Joe Biden exercised his right to appoint a new chair, Rios took what was in effect a thankless cleanup job.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of thankless
Adjective
  • Campbell can actually be spotted in a photo at the beginning of the teaser trailer for Send Help (embedded below), as an unappreciative Bradley throws the picture of his parents (the father is Campbell) in a trash can.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Apparently, the jabs and insults from his unappreciative guest kept coming.
    — Gil Macias, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of unappreciative
Adjective
  • This tragedy serves as a powerful reminder that no family should have to bury a child because of someone’s thoughtless and irresponsible choices.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
  • This rhetoric is not just the thoughtless ramblings of mindless partisans.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of thoughtless

Browse Nearby Words

ungraspable
ungrateful
ungratefulness
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Cite this Entry

“Ungrateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungrateful. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ungrateful

Nglish: Translation of ungrateful for Spanish Speakers

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