What does "ingrate" mean?
An ungrateful or unpleasant person.
Ingrate
/ˈɪnɡɹeɪt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An ungrateful or unpleasant person.
- Grammar: ingrate is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ungrateful person, habitual ingrate, thankless one, thankless recipient.
- Useful contrasts: thankful, most grateful person, appreciative recipient.
- Usage evidence: Many of theſe might ſeem ingrate and unkind children, that vvill no better acknovvledge and recogniſe their parents in vvords and outvvard pretence, but abrenounce and caſt them off, as though they hated them as dogs and ſerpents.
How to use "ingrate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ingrate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ingrate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ingrate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ingrate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ingrate" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ungrateful person" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ingrate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An ungrateful or unpleasant person.
"But Mr Pecksniff, dismissing all ephemeral considerations of social pleasure and enjoyment, concentrated his meditations on the one great virtuous purpose before him, of casting out that ingrate and deceiver, whose presence yet troubled his domestic hearth, and was a sacrilege upon the altars of his household gods."
- 2 a person who shows no gratitude wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Ungrateful. obsolete, poetic
"Many of theſe might ſeem ingrate and unkind children, that vvill no better acknovvledge and recogniſe their parents in vvords and outvvard pretence, but abrenounce and caſt them off, as though they hated them as dogs and ſerpents."
- 2 Unfriendly; unpleasant. obsolete
Synonyms
All synonyms ungrateful personhabitual ingratethankless onethankless recipientthankless wretchunappreciative person
Antonyms
Example
"Many of theſe might ſeem ingrate and unkind children, that vvill no better acknovvledge and recogniſe their parents in vvords and outvvard pretence, but abrenounce and caſt them off, as though they hated them as dogs and ſerpents."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ingrate"?
Common synonyms include: ungrateful person, habitual ingrate, thankless one, thankless recipient, thankless wretch, unappreciative person.
How do you use "ingrate" in a sentence?
Many of theſe might ſeem ingrate and unkind children, that vvill no better acknovvledge and recogniſe their parents in vvords and outvvard pretence, but abrenounce and caſt them off, as though they hated them as dogs and ſerpents.
How do you pronounce "ingrate"?
Pronounced /ˈɪnɡɹeɪt/.
Etymology
First attested in 1393, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English ingrat, from Latin ingrātus (“disagreeable”), from in- (“not”) + grātus (“pleasing”). Cognate with French ingrat.