Greek word · G884

ἀχάριστος

acharistos

ungrateful

Ungrateful, failing to return thanks or favour (a-, 'not', + charis, 'grace, favour, thanks'). It can also mean graceless or unpleasing.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

ἀχάριστος, -ον

(χαρίζομαι), [in LXX: Wisdom of Solomon 16:29, Sirach 29:17, 25, 4Ma.9:10 * ;]

(a) ungracious, unpleasing;

(b) ungrateful, thankless: Luke 6:35, 2 Timothy 3:2.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: Ungrateful, failing to return thanks or favour (a-, 'not', + charis, 'grace, favour, thanks'). It can also mean graceless or unpleasing.
Against the English: 'Ungrateful' or 'unthankful' is accurate. What English loses is the link to χάρις, the 'credit' or 'favour' of verses 32–34. YLT's 'ungracious' tries to keep that link.
Used elsewhere in the period: Wisdom 16:29 ('the hope of the ungrateful will melt like frost'); Sirach 29:16, 25; 2 Timothy 3:2. In Greco-Roman ethics ingratitude was among the worst of vices. Seneca's On Benefits (1.10.4) says 'ungrateful people' are found everywhere, yet in 4.26 he argues: 'If you imitate the gods, give benefits even to the ungrateful; for the sun rises also on the wicked, and the seas lie open to pirates.'

Range of meaning: 'Without charis': ungrateful, failing to show gratitude or return a favour. It can also mean 'graceless, unpleasing'. In the New Testament it appears only here and in Luke 6:35, where God is kind 'to the ungrateful and wicked'.
Against the English: 'Ungrateful/unthankful' is right. Modern readers, however, hear a private attitude, while the ancient word named a public failure in a system of obligation.
How it drifted: Modern gratitude is mainly an inner feeling. The ancient Mediterranean world ran on benefaction: patrons, parents, cities and gods gave gifts, and those who received them owed honour, loyalty and a return.
Used elsewhere in the period: The Roman philosopher Seneca, writing in Paul's generation, wrote a whole treatise on benefits (De beneficiis). He calls ingratitude one of the most common and most hateful vices. Greek honorary inscriptions repeatedly state that a city honours its benefactors so as not to appear acharistos.

Luke · 1

Luke 6:35 ἀχαρίστους ungrateful

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Here: People who take a benefit and give back no thanks or favour. In that culture this was among the most despised of vices. It plays on χάρις ('credit, favour') in verses 32–34.

2 Timothy · 1

2 Timothy 3:2 ἀχάριστοι, ungrateful,

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Here: 'Without charis', meaning without the return of favour owed to a benefactor. In a world that ran on giving and receiving favours, this was failing in a social duty, not just lacking a feeling. It follows naturally after disrespect of parents, who were the first benefactors anyone had.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.