Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense thanks, present participle thanking, past tense, past participle thanked
1. convention
You use thank you or, in more informal English, thanks to express your gratitude when someone does something for you or gives you what you want.
[formulae]
Thank you very much for your call.
Thanks for the information. [+ for]
Oh thank you so much! They're so pretty!
Thanks a lot, Suzie. You've been great.
2. convention
You use thank you or, in more informal English, thanks to politely accept or refuse something that has just been offered to you.
[formulae]
'You'd like a cup as well, would you, Mr Secombe?'—'Thank you, Jane, I'd love one.'
'Would you like a biscuit?'—'No thank you.'
'A coffee?'—'I'd better not, thanks.'
3. convention
You use thank you or, in more informal English, thanks to politely acknowledge what someone has said to you, especially when they have answered your question or said something nice to you.
[formulae]
The policeman smiled at her. 'Pretty dog.'—'Oh well, thank you.'
'His eyes were glassy?'—'And dilated. They were watery.'—'Thank you.'
'It's great to see you.'—'Thanks. Same to you.'
4. convention
You use thank you or thank you very much in order to say firmly that you do not want someone's help or to tell them that you do not like the way that they are behaving towards you.
[emphasis]
I can stir my own tea, thank you.
We know where we can get it, thank you very much.
5. verb
When you thank someone for something, you express your gratitude to them for it.
I thanked them for their long and loyal service. [VERB noun + for]
When the decision was read out Mrs Gardner thanked the judges. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: say thank you to, express gratitude to, show gratitude to, show your appreciation to More Synonyms of thank
6. plural noun
When you express your thanks to someone, you express your gratitude to them for something.
They accepted their certificates with words of thanks.
7. See also thankyou
8.
See give thanks
9.
See thank God
10.
See have sb to thank
11.
See thanks to
12.
See no thanks to
13. to thank your lucky stars
More Synonyms of thank
thank in British English
(θæŋk)
verb(transitive)
1.
to convey feelings of gratitude to
2.
to hold responsible
he has his creditors to thank for his bankruptcy
3.
used in exclamations of relief
thank goodness
thank God
4. I'll thank you to
Word origin
Old English thancian; related to Old Frisian thankia, Old Norse thakka, Old Saxon, Old High German thancōn
thank in American English
(θæŋk)
verb transitive
1.
to show or express appreciation or gratitude to, as by saying “thank you”
2.
to hold responsible; blame
an ironic use
we have them to thank for our failure
Word origin
ME thankien < OE thancian, akin to Ger danken < IE base *tong-, to think > think1, L tongere, to know
Examples of 'thank' in a sentence
thank
He has coped reasonably well and often thanks me for all my help and support.
The Sun (2016)
The flurry of records is in part thanks to highly favourable meteorological conditions.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Thank goodness some of the perpetrators have been discovered and their evil plans thwarted.
The Sun (2016)
The world is a much better place thanks to the brilliant mix of people it has in it.
The Sun (2016)
Here, a selection of them give their thanks.
The Sun (2016)
Well, thank you very much for spoiling it for me.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The rooms wear their age well, thanks to cheerful decor; some have hot tubs and pools.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We took time to express publicly our thanks for the service of various members and staff.
Christianity Today (2000)
But for me the medals are not the main reason to give thanks.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Thank goodness for our supply of salad leaves.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Managers politely thanked followers for all the tweets.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We want to thank you for helping us make history today.
The Sun (2010)
One tips to thank for good service.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Thank goodness for a return to quality comedy entertainment.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Thank you for helping me understand more about this important religion.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
What did is that the manager shook my hand and thanked me for expressing my feelings at the till.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He escaped with a par at the fourth thanks in part to a free drop from close to a tree.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She received the present with cool gratitude, and thanked him formally.
Elizabeth Gaskell Cranford (1853)
Ghana was much fancied, thanks to its resources and its political and economic stability.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Did very well indeed, thank you very much.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
And their proper name is door supervisors, thank you very much.
The Sun (2009)
The sector has surged back to life, thanks in part to government initiatives.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
A few offered not especially sincere thanks.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I want to say well done and thank you.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The vibe is especially cosy thanks to sculpted wooden furniture, which has only grown more beautiful with age.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Farewell then, sir, and once more gratitude and thanks.
Frederick Marryat The Children of the New Forest (1847)
IT is often hard to know how to say thank you, especially when a genuine sacrifice has been made on your behalf.
The Sun (2010)
In other languages
thank
British English: thank /θæŋk/ VERB
When you thank someone for something, you show that you are grateful to them for it.
I thanked them for their long and loyal service.
American English: thank
Arabic: يَشْكُرُ
Brazilian Portuguese: agradecer
Chinese: 感谢
Croatian: zahvaliti
Czech: děkovat
Danish: takke
Dutch: bedanken
European Spanish: agradecer
Finnish: kiittää
French: remercier
German: danken
Greek: ευχαριστώ
Italian: ringraziare
Japanese: 感謝する
Korean: 감사하다
Norwegian: takke
Polish: podziękować
European Portuguese: agradecer
Romanian: a mulțumi
Russian: благодарить
Latin American Spanish: agradecer
Swedish: tacka tacksamhet
Thai: ขอบคุณ
Turkish: teşekkür etmek
Ukrainian: дякувати
Vietnamese: cảm ơn
All related terms of 'thank'
thank you
a conventional expression of gratitude
thank heavens
used as an exclamation of gratitude and relief
thank kindly
to thank heartily
have sb to thank
If you say that you have someone to thank for something, you mean that you are grateful to them because they caused it to happen .
thank the public
You can refer to people in general , or to all the people in a particular country or community , as the public .
I'll thank you to
used ironically to intensify a command, request , etc
thank one's (lucky) stars
to be thankful for what appears to be good luck
thank God thank goodness thank heavens
You say ' Thank God ', ' Thank Goodness ', or ' Thank heavens ' when you are very relieved about something.
to thank your lucky stars
If you say that someone should thank their lucky stars that something is the case, you mean that they should be very grateful that it is the case, because otherwise their situation would be a lot worse .
Chinese translation of 'thank'
thank
(θæŋk)
vt
[person]感谢(謝) (gǎnxiè)
thank you (very much)(非常)感谢(謝)你 ((fēicháng) gǎnxiè nǐ)