The small phrase “thanks anyway” is usually used by many people. And while the phrase consists of rather common words, most people have a hard time understanding exactly what it means. What Do Thanks Anyway Mean?
The phrase is used in a situation where you want to thank a person who may not have completed the task they were supposed to. But you still want to thank them for their efforts, so you use this phrase.
What Is The Meaning Of “Thanks Anyway”?
“Thanks Anyway” is a phrase to display your gratitude to a co-worker or friend. You might be thinking, but you could just say thank you. Well, “Thanks Anyway” isn’t used in regular situations. Instead, people use it when the second person is unable to fulfill their requirements.
If you asked your college friend to help you with a complex equation, and they tried but could not get the answer, what would you say? You would use “Thanks Anyway” to show gratitude that they tried and attempted the question.
You want to tell them that it is no problem if they did not get what you were looking for. You can let them know that you appreciated their efforts greatly and do not mind that the result was not in your favor.
Why Do People Say “Thanks Anyway”?
People generally use the phrase when things may not go their way, but they still want to thank the other person for making an effort. Even though a co-worker or friend might try to help you out, it might not always result in success.
Sometimes, they might put in the effort and still not achieve what you were aiming for. But it does not mean that they did not try, so they still deserve praise. By saying a small thanks anyways, you can make their day.
It can also help build positive relations with the said co-workers and friends.
Is Saying “Thanks Anyway” Considered Rude?
Many people think that saying “Thanks Anyway” may seem rude to the other person. It is why people refrain from using the phrase in a more professional setting. However, the phrase is not at all rude in any way.
The phrase directly means that you want to thank someone for their efforts even if they failed to bring you the results that you wanted. So, you might not have gotten exactly what you wished for, but you still want to thank the person for making an effort for you.
If anything, it will make that person feel thankful and glad that they put in the effort for you. It would make them feel that someone noticed their efforts and acknowledged them rather than look at the negative results. So it will possibly make their day and is not at all rude to them.
Examples
There are numerous example situations where one could use a phrase like thanks anyway. You can find them in your daily life, at home, in college, at work, and more. Some of these situations below will help you understand how to use the phrase in such a situation.
At Home
Imagine that you are at home with your family and see an ice cream truck pull up at the corner of the street. You want to get ice cream for yourself but you do not have any cash on you. You ask your sister for some cash and she takes out her wallet.
She discovers that she doesn’t have any cash on her either and says she is sorry. Then you can use thanks anyway in such a manner:
“That’s alright, I will ask someone else for some. Thanks anyway!”
With A Friend
Imagine that you are at a friend’s place and having lots of fun when you spill some drinks on your clothes. It is a shirt you adore so you try to wash it off and your friend gives you their clothes in the meantime.
But the clothes are way too loose for you so you ask them if they have something a size smaller. They look through their closet but do not find anything that fits them. Then you can use thanks anyway in such a manner:
“I guess I can still manage with these clothes, thanks anyway!”
At College
Imagine being in a lecture at college when you accidentally break the tip of your pencil. You look around for a savior and ask the person sitting to your right if they have an extra pencil. They don’t, and they don’t have a sharpener for you to borrow either.
Then you can use thanks anyway in such a manner:
“Oh, I see. I’ll take notes on my phone then, thanks anyway!”
At A Job
If you are working at a firm and receive an assignment that you cannot comprehend. No matter how much research you do, you cannot wrap your head around the topic entirely. You ask your coworker to help you out with it.
They take a look at the topic and try their best to find out more information on the topic. But it goes in vain and they can’t figure it out either. Then you can use thanks anyway in such a manner:
“It must be too difficult a topic altogether, I will take it to the team leader. But thanks anyway for all your effort!”
In A Public Place
Imagine you are in a new part of the city that you are not familiar with. You are trying to search for the company building where your friend works to surprise them. But you can’t seem to locate the building no matter what.
You ask a local for directions, but even after looking at the address, they don’t seem to know where it is either. Then you can use thanks anyway in such a manner:
“That’s alright, I will ask someone else, thanks anyway!”
Conclusion
While studying or even working, you would need to use phrases like “thanks anyway” frequently. Such phrases will help you stay polite and have ideal relations with your friends and co-workers.
So you need to understand the exact meaning of the phrase before you use it. And apart from knowing its meaning, you must also have an idea of how to use it in a sentence. Then you would be able to show your appreciation to a colleague or co-worker.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the phrase “thanks anyway” stand for?
It is a phrase that you use when you want to show your gratitude to a person. But it is not done in usual situations, rather in situations where the other person has been unable to do what was asked of them.
- What situation do you generally use “thanks anyway” in?
You could use thanks anyway in multiple situations. The most frequent situation is when you ask a favor from someone, but they are unable to fulfill it. You can’t help but get disappointed, but are still thankful that they at least tried.
- Is “thanks anyway” correct or “thanks anyways”?
It is considered to be the formal way of speaking. The correct usage and form of the phrase would be “Thanks Anyway”. Using “Thanks Anyways” may make your phrase sound casual to the listener so remove the s.
