thank

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: thăngk IPA^(key): /θæŋk/
• (æ-tensing, New York City) IPA^(key): , , (sometimes)
• (dialectal) IPA^(key): /ðæŋk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk

From Middle English thank, from Old English þanc (“thought, favour, grace, pleasure, satisfaction, thanks”), from Proto-Germanic *þankaz (“thought, remembrance, gratitude”), from Proto-Indo-European *tong-, *teng- (“to think”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tonk, West Frisian tank, Dutch dank, Low German Dank, German Dank, Danish tak, Swedish tack, Faroese tøkk, Icelandic þökk. Related to thought.

thank (plural thanks)

1. (obsolete in the singular) An expression of appreciation; a thought.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Luke 6:33:

     If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

   • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: , 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book:

     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?

From Middle English thanken, thankien, from Old English þancian, þoncian (“to thank, give thanks”), from Proto-Germanic *þankōną (“to thank”), from Proto-Germanic *þankaz (“thought, gratitude”), from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to think, feel”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian tonkje (“to thank”), West Frisian tanke (“to thank”), Dutch danken (“to thank”), Low German danken (“to thank”), German danken (“to thank”), Danish takke (“to thank”), Swedish tacka (“to thank”), Icelandic þakka (“to thank”). Of the same root as the above etymology. Related to thought.

thank (third-person singular simple present thanks, present participle thanking, simple past and past participle thanked)

1. (transitive) To express gratitude or appreciation toward.

   She thanked him for the lift.

   • 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, chapter 23, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:

     The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion now thanked the Good Witch earnestly for her kindness; and Dorothy exclaimed: […]

   • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

     I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.

   • 2023 November 15, Ian Prosser talks to Stefanie Foster, “A healthy person is a more productive person”, in RAIL, number 996, page 32:

     We were able to transport goods and critical workers all the way through the pandemic, and at the time we had the Prime Minister thanking everyone for what was achieved.

2. (transitive) To feel gratitude or appreciation toward.

   I'll thank you not to smoke in my house!

   • 1844, The Quarterly Review, volume 74, page 104:

     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. (transitive) To credit or hold responsible.

   We can thank global warming for this weather.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, […] . By the time we reached the house we were thanking our stars she had come. Mrs. Cooke came out from under the port-cochere to welcome her.

From Old English þancian, þoncian (“to thank, give thanks”), from Proto-Germanic *þankōną (“to thank”).

thank (third-person singular simple present thanks, present participle thankin, simple past thankit, past participle thankit)

1. to thank