Ingrate
/ɪnˈɡreɪt/
nounC2
Definition
An ingrate is someone who is ungrateful, meaning they do not say thank you or show they appreciate kindness or help from others. This word is often used to describe a person who acts as if they do not care about the good things others do for them.
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See It in Action
A person who does not show gratitude or thanks
- •He was called an ingrate after he ignored all the help his family gave him.
- •Don’t be an ingrate; always say thank you when someone helps.
- •The ingrate never remembered to thank those who supported her.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "ingrate" like "thankless person," but with a stronger meaning—it means someone who really does not feel or show thanks at all.
- ✓Picture a person receiving a gift but not smiling or saying "thank you," instead looking unhappy or ignoring the giver.
- ✓It's the feeling when someone helps you, but they act like it is normal and not special, making you feel sad or disappointed.
- ✓Sounds like "in-GRATE" → imagine someone who is NOT a "great" friend because they don't say thanks.
- ✓Think of stories where a character helps others but gets no thanks, like the ungrateful son in some fairy tales.
- ✓NOT like "thankful" (shows appreciation), "ingrate" is the opposite, showing no thanks or respect.
- ✓NOT like "rude" (bad manners), "ingrate" focuses on lack of gratitude, not general bad behavior.
Try Other Words
- •Ungrateful: not showing thanks (Use in everyday situations when someone forgets to say thank you)
- •Thankless: without thanks or appreciation (Use when the action is not rewarded with thanks)
- •Disrespectful: showing lack of respect (Use when the lack of thanks also involves bad manners)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "in-" (not) + root "grate" from "gratus" (Latin for pleasing or thankful)
- •Etymology: From Latin "ingratus," meaning "not pleasing" or "ungrateful"
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1500s to describe someone who does not show thanks
- •Modern usage: Still used today to describe people who do not appreciate kindness or help
Reflect & Connect
•Why do you think people sometimes act like ingrates even when they receive help or kindness?
•How can showing gratitude change the way people feel about each other?
Fill in the blanks
1.An ingrate often ___ to say thank you even after receiving a gift.
2.When someone is an ingrate, they usually make others feel ___ or unappreciated.
3.Being called an ingrate means you are ___ to the kindness of others.
4.The story described the character as an ingrate because he ___ all the help he got.
5.Unlike a thankful person, an ingrate rarely shows ___ or appreciation.
6.People avoid helping someone who acts like an ingrate because they feel ___.
7.When someone behaves like an ingrate, it often ___ relationships and trust.