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noun C2 Proficient

ingrate

IHNG-rayt
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Ingrate (noun) means an ungrateful person. Example: “He called his old friend an ingrate for never saying thanks.”

noun
1
An ungrateful person.
"The consensus—certainly among the great and the good of Cambridge, Massachusetts—was that he was an ultranationalist, a reactionary, and, above all, an ingrate." — Eliot A. Cohen, Solzhenitsyn’s Warning (2024)
"He called his old friend an ingrate for never saying thanks."
adj
1
Ungrateful.
"The ingrate nephew never once visited his sick uncle."

How to use ingrate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA person who doesn't show thanks for what's been done for them.

Common pairings
a selfish ingrate call someone an ingrate
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Word forms

Plural
ingrates
Comparative
more ingrate
Superlative
most ingrate
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He called his old friend an _____ for never saying thanks.

Etymology

From Latin ingratus, "not pleasing," from "in-" ("not") + gratus ("pleasing" — the same root as "grateful").

Origin: Latin

thankless wretch ungrateful person

Rhymes for ingrate

See all rhymes for ingrate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “ingrate” mean?
The word “ingrate” means an ungrateful person. In plain terms, a person who doesn't show thanks for what's been done for them.
How do you pronounce “ingrate”?
“Ingrate” is pronounced IHNG-rayt (/ˈɪnɡɹeɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “ingrate” in a sentence?
Here is “ingrate” used in a sentence: “He called his old friend an ingrate for never saying thanks.”
What part of speech is “ingrate”?
Depending on how it is used, “ingrate” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “ingrate” come from?
The word “ingrate” comes from Latin. From Latin ingratus, "not pleasing," from "in-" ("not") + gratus ("pleasing" — the same root as "grateful").
How many meanings does “ingrate” have?
“Ingrate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an ungrateful person.

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