ungratefully
/ʌnˈɡreɪtfəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈɡreɪtfəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce ungrateful (audio)/ (ame, mw)
ungratefully — adverb
1. done without showing thanks for a benefit or favour received from another person
done without showing thanks for a benefit or favour received from another person, typically by complaining or acting dissatisfied instead of saying thank you
After his aunt paid for his tuition, Theo ungratefully complained that the school was too far from his friends.
ungratefully + complained about a received benefit
Mei-Lin ungratefully tossed the scarf her grandmother knitted onto a chair and never wore it.
ungratefully + discarding a gift
The Chen family ungratefully turned away every plate of food the neighbours brought after the typhoon damaged their kitchen.
João ungratefully sent the birthday money back and listed gifts he would have liked better.
- thanklessly
less common; focuses on a lack of thanks received rather than given
- unappreciatively
places more emphasis on failing to value the thing received
- gratefully
showing or expressing thanks; the direct opposite
- thankfully
with gratitude or relief
文法句型
ungratefully + verb phrase
verb phrase + ungratefully
用法筆記
The adverb ungratefully describes the manner of an action, not a person's character — unlike the adjective ungrateful. It frequently pairs with verbs of complaint, refusal, or dismissal.
常見錯誤
ungratefully — adjective
- ungratefullypositive
- more ungratefullycomparative
- most ungratefullysuperlative
1. not feeling or showing thanks for something good that someone has done for you,
not feeling or showing thanks for something good that someone has done for you, especially when you should feel grateful by any reasonable standard
Dr. Mensah called the boy ungrateful after he threw the lunch his mother had packed onto the playground floor.
collocation: ungrateful child / ungrateful person
Fatima called her brother deeply ungrateful — he never thanked their aunt for two rent-free years.
adverb collocation: deeply + ungrateful
The ungrateful patient shouted at the night-shift nurses who had stayed up to look after him all night.
It would seem ungrateful not to write a short note after receiving such generous wedding presents.
- unthankful
less common, mostly British; same core meaning but narrower
- unappreciative
emphasises failure to recognise the value of what was given
文法句型
be + ungrateful
ungrateful + noun (child/guest/patient/attitude)
用法筆記
This is the core and most frequent sense of ungrateful. The subject is typically a person (or a person's behaviour/attitude). Often used with the verb 'be' as a criticism: 'You're so ungrateful!'
常見錯誤
2. describing a task or duty that is unpleasant, hard, or thankless to carry out, o
describing a task or duty that is unpleasant, hard, or thankless to carry out, often because the effort brings little reward or recognition
Cleaning the old oven was an ungrateful job — Sofía scrubbed for an hour and nobody even noticed the difference.
collocation: ungrateful job / ungrateful task
Mr. Ogawa drew the ungrateful chore of telling the children their week-long camp was cancelled.
ungrateful + chore (always before a noun)
Enforcing the rules at an office party is an ungrateful role nobody wants.
Sorting through old tax records is an ungrateful task that takes hours and earns no praise.
- thankless
more common for tasks; can be used both attributively and predicatively ('a thankless task', 'the task is thankless')
- unrewarding
focuses on lack of personal satisfaction rather than lack of praise from others
- rewarding
giving satisfaction and a sense of achievement
- gratifying
providing pleasure or a feeling of being rewarded
文法句型
ungrateful + noun (task/job/chore/work/role)
用法筆記
This sense only appears before a noun (attributive), never after 'be' — you can say 'an ungrateful task' but not 'The task is ungrateful.' Distinguish from sense 1: here the word describes the nature of the work, not a person's character.
常見錯誤
3. affecting the senses in an unpleasant or repellent way, especially through sound
affecting the senses in an unpleasant or repellent way, especially through sound, taste, smell, or appearance — for example, a harsh noise, a sour taste, or an ugly colour
An ungrateful screech came from the loudspeaker every time the principal leaned toward the microphone.
collocation: ungrateful sound / ungrateful noise
The sour milk left an ungrateful taste in Aisha's mouth all afternoon.
The waiting room was painted an ungrateful shade of yellow-brown that made everyone in it feel slightly sick.
An ungrateful odour of old cabbage and damp cloth rose from the basement kitchen.
- unpleasant
much broader and more common; covers all degrees of dislike
- repellent
stronger; suggests actively driving someone away
- offensive
strong disapproval; works for smells, sounds, and sights
文法句型
ungrateful + noun (sound/smell/taste/colour)
用法筆記
This rare, formal sense is almost exclusively British and appears in literary or descriptive writing. It is always used before a noun (attributive) — for example 'ungrateful sound', never 'The sound was ungrateful.'