thank
/ˈθæŋk/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.48 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
singular of thanks (“an expression of appreciation or gratitude; grateful feelings or thoughts; favour, goodwill, graciousness”)
Obsolete
verb
In the future tense in the form one will thank someone to do something, chiefly expressing a command or criticism: to request that (someone) do something.
Transitive verb
verb
Chiefly followed by for: to credit or hold (someone or something) responsible, especially for something negative; to blame.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same."
- "What great thank, then, if any man, reputed wise and constant, will neither do, nor permit others under his charge to do, that which he approves not, especially in matter of sin?"
- "She thanked him for the lift."
- "[H]aſt thou no ſhame to deſpiſe that perſone, to whom onely and no man els, thou art bounde to thanke, euen for this veraie pointe, that thou ſetteſt ſo moche by thy peinted ſheathe?"
- "I can eate no meate, I thanke you."
- "The naked Negro, panting at the line, / Baſks in the glare, or ſtems the tepid vvave, / And thanks his Gods for all the good they gave."
Etymology
From Middle English thank (“gratitude; expression of gratitude, thanks; attractiveness; commendation, praise; God’s grace; goodwill; merit, reward; mind, thought”), from Old English þanc, þonc (“gratitude; expression of gratitude, thanks; favour, grace; mind, thought; pleasure, satisfaction”), from Proto-Germanic *þankaz (“gratitude; expression of gratitude, thanks; mind, thought; remembrance”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to perceive; to think”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tonk (“thanks”), West Frisian tanke (“thanks”), Cimbrian dånke (“thanks”), Dutch dank (“thanks”), German Dank (“thanks”), Vilamovian dank, daŋk, daonk (“thanks”), Yiddish דאַנק (dank, “thanks”), Danish tak (“thanks”), Elfdalian tokk (“thanks”), Faroese takk, tøkk (“thanks”), Icelandic takk, þökk (“thanks”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk takk (“thanks”), Swedish tack (“thanks”), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐍃 (þagks, “thanks”), Vandalic *þank- (“thanks”); also Latin tongeō (“to know”). For the think — thank relation, compare typologically Russian призна́тельный (priznátelʹnyj) (< знать (znatʹ).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˈθæŋk/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
pickthank
pickthanking
thankful
thankless
thankly
thanksdoing
thanksgive
thanksgiver
thanksprayer
thankworth
thankworthy
bethank
Phrases
shun-thank
thank-offering
thank-picking
thank-render
thanks-living
no thank you
thank fuck
thank god