ungratefulness

ungratefulness — noun

1. the behaviour or attitude of someone who does not show or express thanks for kin

1.nounB2
Definition

the behaviour or attitude of someone who does not show or express thanks for kindness, gifts, or help that they have received from others

Example

Tariro could not believe her cousin's ungratefulness after she had paid for his flight.

possessive determiner + ungratefulness + after [reason]

Maeve's ungratefulness upset her grandmother, who had knitted the sweater entirely by hand.

possessive noun + ungratefulness as subject

Common collocations
  • show ungratefulness
  • display ungratefulness
  • ungratefulness towards
  • such ungratefulness
  • sheer ungratefulness
  • ungratefulness of [someone]
Synonyms
  • ingratitude

    more formal and literary in register; often used in moral or philosophical discussions

  • thanklessness

    emphasises the lack of verbal thanks; less common and slightly informal

  • unappreciativeness

    focuses on failing to recognise the value of what was done; less frequent in everyday use

Antonyms
  • gratitude

    the direct opposite — a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

  • thankfulness

    more concrete and emotional than gratitude; focuses on the feeling of being grateful

  • appreciation

    recognising and valuing someone's effort or kindness

Grammar Patterns

uncountable; often followed by 'towards' or 'of'

Usage Note

Uncountable noun; frequently used with possessive determiners (his, her, their) or the structure 'ungratefulness towards + person/group'. More common in written or formal contexts than in everyday speech, where 'being ungrateful' is preferred.

Common Mistakes

His ungratefulness made me angry, showing his ungratefulness.
His ungratefulness made me angry.
'ungratefulness' is uncountable and should not be pluralised or used with 'an' or 'two'.
He showed ungratefulness for my help.
He showed ungratefulness towards me for all my help.
The preferred preposition is 'towards' when referring to a person, not 'for'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a failure to show thanks, but they differ in register and focus. 'Ungratefulness' (B2) is the most direct and commonly used in everyday situations — it sounds natural when describing someone's behaviour towards family, friends, or colleagues. 'Ingratitude' (C1) comes from Latin and carries a more formal, literary, or moral weight; you are more likely to find it in essays, religious texts, or philosophical discussions ('the sin of ingratitude'). 'Thanklessness' is less frequent and often describes the quality of a task or situation rather than a person — for example, 'the thanklessness of the job'. 'Unappreciativeness' focuses on failing to recognise the value or effort of something, and is the least common of the four. If you want to say that a friend did not thank you for a gift, 'ungratefulness' is the best choice. If you are writing about a character flaw in a novel, 'ingratitude' may fit better.

ingratitude ↗ungratefulness ↗thanklessness ↗unappreciativeness

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • deeply ungrateful (adj form)
  • terribly ungrateful (adj form)

Phrases

  • an act of ungratefulness
  • a sign of ungratefulness
  • sheer ungratefulness

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Formed in English by adding the suffix '-ness' (which turns adjectives into nouns) to 'ungrateful'. The word 'ungrateful' itself combines the Old English prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') with 'grateful', which comes from the Latin 'gratus' (meaning 'pleasing, thankful'). The core sense of not feeling or showing thanks has remained stable since the word first appeared in English in the 16th century.