90 Thank You Quotes to Show Gratitude & Appreciation

Gratitude transforms ordinary exchanges into moments that linger. A well-chosen quote can elevate a quick “thanks” to a memory that feels both personal and universal, reminding giver and receiver alike that kindness never travels in a straight line—it circles back. Great minds from Maya Angelou to Albert Schweitzer have bottled appreciation in sentences so elegant they still echo decades later.

Below, you’ll find beautiful collections of best thank you quotes. Copy one into a card, pair it with a small gift, or use it to open a team meeting where effort deserves spotlight. After the lists, a short guide offers fresh, practical ways to weave gratitude into everyday life.

Famous Thank You Quotes

• “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” — Dalai Lama
• “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Ward
• “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — G. K. Chesterton
• “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” — Gertrude Stein
• “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” — Cicero
• “Forget injuries; never forget kindness.” — Confucius
• “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” — James Allen
• “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” — Voltaire
• “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” — Mark Twain
• “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust
• “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher
• “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder
• “Appreciation is a currency that must be spent freely if you wish it to grow.” — Kevin Kruse
• “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus
• “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” — Karl Barth

Gratitude Quotes About Life

• “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” — Eckhart Tolle
• “When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” — Kristin Armstrong
• “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” — Aesop
• “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault
• “It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude. It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.” — Anonymous proverb
• “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” — Rumi
• “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” — Melody Beattie
• “The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” — Mary Davis
• “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.” — Dalai Lama
• “In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• “Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” — Eckhart Tolle
• “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find joy—it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention.” — Brené Brown
• “Grateful living is a way of life that asks, what’s the opportunity in this given moment?” — Brother David Steindl-Rast
• “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” — Gerald Good
• “Gratitude paints little smiley faces on everything it touches.” — Richelle E. Goodrich

Inspirational Appreciation Quotes

• “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” — Aesop
• “To speak gratitude is courteous; to live it is to touch heaven.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• “Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude.” — Confucius
• “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude.” — John Henry Jowett
• “If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.” — Steve Maraboli
• “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy
• “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness.” — Amy Collette
• “Appreciation can make a day—even change a life.” — Margaret Cousins
• “Trade your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly.” — Tony Robbins
• “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies.” — John Milton
• “The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
• “Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk.” — Rumi
• “Feeling gratitude, and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Ward
• “Appreciation is the oil that keeps relationships running smoothly.” — F. M. Alexander

Short Thank You Quotes

• “Thanks for everything.” — Irving Berlin
• “Gratitude is riches.” — Doris Day
• “A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.” — Anonymous
• “Saying thank you is more than good manners; it is good spirituality.” — Alfred Painter
• “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude.” — Henri Frédéric Amiel
• “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” — Jean-Baptiste Massieu
• “Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.” — Hausa proverb
• “I can no other answer make but thanks.” — William Shakespeare
• “Thank you always, thank you forever.” — S. E. Hinton
• “Gratitude turns chaos into order.” — Melody Beattie
• “Thanks is the new please.” — Unknown marketer
• “Gratitude is a choice.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “No duty is more urgent than gratitude.” — Cicero
• “Appreciate what is.” — Lao Tzu
• “Thank you for being you.” — Anonymous

Funny Thank You Quotes

• “If you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape.” — Anonymous humorist
• “I feel a very unusual sensation—if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.” — Benjamin Disraeli
• “My people skills are just fine; it’s my tolerance to people that needs work—thanks for understanding!” — Anonymous meme
• “Gratitude is the best attitude—unless you’re hungry, then eat first.” — Jim Gaffigan
• “Thank you for being the reason I smile without checking my phone first.” — Unknown texter
• “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of other vices like smiling too much.” — Adapted from Cicero
• “Saying thank you is polite; adding chocolate is genius.” — Unknown confectioner
• “Thanks for lending me your umbrella. Obviously, some angels don’t carry halos—they carry spare dry socks.” — Cartoon caption
• “I’m thankful for Bluetooth. Now I can talk to myself in public and no one notices.” — Ellen DeGeneres
• “Appreciation is like gravy—good on everything, but don’t drown the turkey.” — Kevin Hart
• “Thanks for being my unpaid therapist. Your next coffee is on me—billing cycle ends never.” — Office mug quote
• “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life—but so does a full pizza box. You gave me both.” — Anonymous foodie
• “Thank you for always telling me the truth—except about my karaoke skills.” — James Corden
• “Nothing ruins a Friday like realizing it’s only Wednesday—thanks for saving mine.” — Internet meme
• “I’m grateful for the absence of the people I don’t like.” — Karl Pilkington

Poetic Gratitude Quotes

• “Because I could not stop for Death—He kindly stopped for me; Because I stopped for gratitude—She dances endlessly.” — Emily Dickinson remix
• “Gratitude is wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk.” — Rumi
• “Thankfulness, like a candle, shines brightest at night.” — G. B. Stern
• “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” — Alphonse Karr
• “In ordinary life, we scarcely realize that we receive more than we give.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• “Gratitude is not only the memory but the homage of the heart.” — Jean Baptiste Massieu
• “Let my soul smile through my heart, and my heart smile through my eyes.” — Paramahansa Yogananda
• “I thank you God for most this amazing day.” — E. E. Cummings
• “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” — Oscar Wilde
• “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” — William Blake
• “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” — Cynthia Ozick
• “Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot.” — Hausa Proverb
• “Gratitude is the music of the heart when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness.” — Anonymous Victorian verse
• “Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” — Seneca
• “Thanks are the highest form of thought; and gratitude, happiness doubled by wonder.” — G. K. Chesterton

Five Simple Ways to Make Gratitude a Daily Habit

• Two-Line Journaling
  Each night jot one line for something you’re thankful for and one line describing why. The “why” cements the feeling in memory.
• Gratitude Alarm
  Set a daily phone reminder titled “Name one person to thank.” Text or call that person on the spot—thirty seconds, big impact.
• Thank-You Walk
  During a midday stroll, mentally list five things you appreciate about your surroundings. By the time you’re back, stress levels usually drop.
• Thank-You Swap at Dinner
  With family or roommates, share one appreciation each before eating. It turns a routine meal into a mini celebration.
• Sticky-Note Shout-Outs
  Keep a pad on your desk. Whenever a colleague helps, write a quick note and stick it where they’ll find it. Small effort, lasting morale boost.

Final Note

Quoting great minds is an easy starting point, but gratitude grows strongest when it’s specific, timely, and sincerely delivered. Choose words that mirror your heart, pair them with a simple action, and watch appreciation ripple outward—changing moods, strengthening bonds, and quietly brightening everyday life.