|ən+ adjective
Etymology: un- (I) + grateful
1.
a. : showing no gratitude : thankless
an ungrateful child refusing help to his aging parents
b. : appearing to lack appreciation
few composers being professional conductors, the unfortunate guest is likely to give a pretty ungrateful … performance — Deems Taylor
c. archaic : failing to respond to cultivation : listless
where vegetation is found at all, it is more ungrateful than … blankness — Herman Melville
2.
a. : of a disagreeable nature : distasteful
the work of security boards is an ungrateful task at best — Sidney Hook
b. : offensive to the senses : harsh , repellent
unidiomatic instrumental writing and ungrateful chord dispositions — Virgil Thomson
the reeds … sent forth an ungrateful stench — Jonas Hanway
• un·gratefully “+ adverb