thank

nounverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue

United Kingdom//ˈθæŋk//
United Kingdom/[ˈθæŋk]/
United Kingdom//ˈθaŋk//
United Kingdom/[ˈθaŋk]/

To express appreciation or gratitude toward (someone or something).

noun

1
Also a form of thanksobsoletesingular of thanks (“an expression of appreciation or gratitude; grateful feelings or thoughts; favour, goodwill, graciousness”)
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?

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).

verb

1
To express appreciation or gratitude toward (someone or something).
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.
2
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.
I’ll thank you not to smoke in my house!
Our readers would not thank us for going into the badgerings which had for some time annoyed the chancellor on the subject of arrears in his court.
3
rareTo express appreciation or gratitude for (something).
4
figurativeTo respond to (someone) out of, or as if out of, appreciation or gratitude.
I should summon my lord from the Queen's royal presence to do your business, should I?—I were like to be thanked with a horse-whip.
5
figurativeChiefly followed by for: to credit or hold (someone or something) responsible, especially for something negative; to blame.
We can thank global warming for this freak weather.
6
obsoleteTo express gratitude.

Etymology

From Middle English thanken, thankien (“to express gratitude, give thanks; to congratulate, rejoice with, or wish joy to; to extol, praise; to hold responsible for”), from Old English þancian, þoncian (“to thank”), from Proto-West Germanic *þankōn, from Proto-Germanic *þankōną (“to thank”), from *þankaz (see etymology 1) + *-ōną (suffix forming infinitives of verbs from nouns). Cognates Cognate with Scots thank (“to thank”), Saterland Frisian tonkje (“to thank”), Cimbrian dånkan (“to thank”), Dutch, German, and Luxembourgish danken (“to thank”), Vilamovian danka, daŋka, daonka (“to thank”), Yiddish דאַנקען (danken, “to thank”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål takke (“to thank”), Faroese takka (“to thank”), Icelandic þakka (“to thank”), Swedish tacka (“to thank”).

Forms

plural: thanks
past tense: thanked
past participle: thanked
present participle: thanking
third person singular: thanks

Thames · A river in southern England, flowing 336 km (209 mi.) from…than · Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.Than · A surname.

thank · To express appreciation or gratitude toward (someone or something).

thank-you · An expression of gratitude.thankful · Showing appreciation or gratitude.Thankful · A female given name.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.