thank

IPA/θæŋk/
KK[θˈæŋk]IPA/θæŋk/

thank — verb

  • thankpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • thankshe / she / it
  • thankedpast simple
  • thanking-ing form

1. To show someone you feel grateful by speaking or writing to them — you can thank

1.verbtransitiveA1
Definition

To show someone you feel grateful by speaking or writing to them — you can thank a person for a gift, a favour, help, or their effort.

Example

Jiwoo thanked her neighbour for watering the plants while she was away.

thank + somebody + for + gerund

The students wrote cards to thank their teacher at the end of the term.

to-infinitive purpose clause after 'thank'

Common collocations
  • thank someone for
  • thank someone personally
  • thank someone warmly
  • thank someone sincerely
  • thank someone publicly
  • want to thank
  • would like to thank
  • write to thank
  • call to thank
Synonyms
  • appreciate

    Focuses on the inner feeling of gratitude rather than the act of expressing it; 'I appreciate your help' is more about valuing the help itself.

  • acknowledge

    More formal and public; often used in ceremonies, speeches, or official statements to recognise someone's contribution.

  • show gratitude

    A broader phrasal expression that may include actions beyond words, such as writing a note or giving a gift.

Antonyms
  • ignore

    To deliberately not acknowledge someone's effort or kindness.

  • criticize

    To point out faults instead of showing appreciation.

Grammar Patterns

thank + somebody + for + noun / gerund

thank + somebody

thank + somebody + with + noun

Usage Note

Always takes a direct object — you must thank someone. The single-word verb form is moderately formal; in everyday spoken English, the shorter expression 'Thanks!' or 'Thank you!' is far more common. Use the full verb form in writing or when you want to sound sincere and specific.

Common Mistakes

I thanked to him for the gift.
I thanked him for the gift.
'thank' is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.
Thank you your help.
Thank you for your help.
When a reason follows 'thank you', the preposition 'for' is required.
I thank you for your advice.' (in casual conversation)
Thanks for the advice.
The full verb phrase 'I thank you' sounds stiff in everyday speech; use 'thanks' as an interjection instead.
Idioms

have somebody / something to thank (for something)

idiom

Used to say that a particular person or thing is the cause of something, whether good or bad. In positive contexts it expresses gratitude; in negative contexts it assigns blame.

If the garden looks so beautiful this year, we have Jiwoo to thank for all her hard work.

The travellers had the heavy rain to thank for their cancelled flight.

thank God / thank goodness / thank heavens

idiom

An exclamation of strong relief or happiness that something bad was avoided or something good happened.

Thank God the fire department arrived before the flames reached the house.

Thank goodness Otis found his passport just before the flight left.

thank your lucky stars

idiom

To feel extremely grateful and fortunate that something good happened or something bad was avoided, as if fate or luck played a role.

You can thank your lucky stars that Sahil was nearby to help when your car broke down.

I’ll thank you for something/to do something

idiom

This phrase is used to show that you are angry and want someone to stop doing something.

I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.

I'll thank you for not smoking in this room.

thank God/goodness/heaven(s) (for something)

idiom

This phrase expresses happiness or relief about something good that happened.

Thank God the rain stopped before the picnic.

Thank goodness for the kind stranger who helped us.

somebody won’t thank you for something

idiom

This phrase means that someone will be unhappy or angry about what you did.

Dad won't thank you for waking him up so early.

The teacher won't thank you for submitting the report late.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three alternatives relate to recognising someone's positive contribution, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Appreciate' focuses on the inner feeling of valuing something — you can appreciate a gift without saying a word, but you thank someone by speaking or writing to them. 'Acknowledge' is more formal and public: a CEO acknowledges staff in a speech, while a friend thanks a friend over coffee. 'Show gratitude' is broader and can include actions such as sending flowers or writing a note. For everyday situations, 'appreciate' works well for the feeling and 'thank' for the act of expressing it. For example: 'I really appreciate your advice' (inner feeling) versus 'I want to thank you for your advice' (spoken expression).

appreciate ↗acknowledge ↗show gratitude

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • would like to thank
  • want to thank
  • write to thank
  • call to thank

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The English verb 'thank' comes from the Old English word 'þancian' (pronounced THAN-kee-an), which meant 'to think, to feel grateful'. The connection between thinking and thanking reflects the idea that gratitude begins with recognising or 'thinking of' what someone has done for you. This is related to the modern German word 'danken' (to thank) and the Dutch 'danken'. The noun 'thanks', now used as a polite interjection, has been part of English since at least the 1300s.