ungrateful

/ʌnˈɡreɪtfl/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈɡreɪtfl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈgrāt-fəl/ (ame, mw)

ungrateful — adjective

  • ungratefulpositive
  • more ungratefulcomparative
  • most ungratefulsuperlative

1. describes a person who does not thank others or show appreciation for help, gift

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a person who does not thank others or show appreciation for help, gifts, or kind actions they have received

例句

Rachel felt it was ungrateful not to thank Wei for cooking dinner.

it + be + ungrateful + to-infinitive — structure for describing actions as ungrateful

Élise called her brother ungrateful after he ignored their grandmother's gift.

同義詞
  • unthankful

    much rarer and more formal or literary; nearly interchangeable with ungrateful but far less common in everyday speech

  • unappreciative

    focuses on failing to value or recognize something rather than failing to express thanks; can apply to situations, art, or efforts, not just personal favours

  • ill-mannered

    broader term covering any lack of good manners, not specifically about gratitude

反義詞
  • grateful

    the direct opposite; showing or expressing thanks

  • thankful

    very close synonym of grateful, often used interchangeably; slightly more focused on feeling relieved rather than showing thanks

  • appreciative

    emphasizes recognizing and valuing what someone has done

文法句型

ungrateful + noun (person or behaviour)

it + be + ungrateful + to-infinitive: describing an action as ungrateful

用法筆記

Frequently used in the 'it is ungrateful (of somebody) to do something' structure, which shifts the focus from the person to the action itself. The subject can be a person, or a noun describing a person's behaviour or response (like 'attitude' or 'silence').

常見錯誤

❌She was ungrateful that he helped her.
✅She was ungrateful for his help.
💡'ungrateful' is rarely followed by a that-clause; use a noun phrase after 'for' instead.
❌He acted ungrateful toward her kindness.
✅He acted ungrateful toward her.
💡'ungrateful toward' is followed by a person, not a thing; use 'ungrateful for' before a thing or action.

2. describes a difficult or unpleasant job, duty, or role, typically involving bad

2.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a difficult or unpleasant job, duty, or role, typically involving bad news or work nobody wants to do

例句

Tariq found himself stuck with the ungrateful role of announcing the layoffs.

collocation: ungrateful role / task / work — the key noun patterns for this sense

Rachid said jury duty was ungrateful work, but someone had to do it.

同義詞
  • thankless

    the closest synonym; used in nearly identical contexts (a thankless task / an ungrateful task), but 'thankless' is more common in everyday English

  • unpleasant

    broader and less specific; any disagreeable experience, not just tasks that go unappreciated

  • unrewarding

    focuses on the lack of personal satisfaction or benefit rather than the unpleasantness

反義詞
  • rewarding

    describes work that brings satisfaction or recognition

  • fulfilling

    emphasizes personal fulfilment rather than external gratitude

文法句型

ungrateful + noun describing a job, duty, or role

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense does NOT describe people who lack gratitude. It only modifies tasks, roles, duties, or situations. The closest equivalent is 'thankless' (a thankless task = an ungrateful task). This sense is less common in everyday conversation and more typical in written or formal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌My boss is very ungrateful.' (when meaning the boss is unpleasant)
✅My boss gave me an ungrateful task.
💡This sense describes work, not people. Use sense 1 to describe a person who does not show thanks.

❌ 'It was an ungrateful job, but someone had to do it.' (correct sentence, but do not use with personal subjects) — correct for tasks, but never use this sense to describe a person directly.