“A Huge Thank You” — Here’s What You Need to Know

Sharing is caring!

Gratitude is a large part of what makes us human. It’s something we’ve talked about before, but it’s also something that we will keep coming back to time and time again.

After all, one of the first things we learn as children is how to say thank you. For instance, whenever someone would do something nice for me, my mother would insist that I should thank them.

But, in addition to being an integral part of social interaction, gratitude actually has a few health benefits.

Research has found that it makes us happier, helps us be more optimistic, and entices us to exercise more.

In fact, some researchers have found a correlation between showing gratitude and a reduced number of visits to the doctor’s office.

So, seeing as gratitude is such a big part of who we are, it only stands to reason that we would have multiple ways of expressing it, and some are bound to sound better than others.

That said, a friend of mine was thanking me and our group of friends for helping him move. He said, “I just wanted to say one thing: a huge thank you to all of you for helping me today.”

Even though I know my friend’s sentiments were sincere, the linguist in me couldn’t help but feel that something was off about the way in which he thanked us.

So, I had to ask myself one question.

 

Is “A huge thank you” correct?

“(A huge thank you” is correct. There is nothing wrong with it. It’s just not that common of an expression. It is used to express profuse gratitude.

 

How to use the expression “(a) huge thank you”

Obviously, it is informal, so you should only use it with friends and close acquaintances. Alternatively, if you were to use it with your boss, it would just come across as weird and unprofessional.

Here’s an example how someone may have used this expression online.

A huge thank you to the staff who helped make this day a reality and showed the world how awesome of a company we are.

As you can tell, “ a huge thank you” is the sort of thing you say during a speech or on a note.

It is rarely preceded or followed by a verb.

Instead, you usually follow it by the preposition “to” and the people or individuals to whom you want to thank.

 

Other ways of combining “huge” and “thank you”

Once I’d looked at “a huge thank you,” I found myself going down this rabbit hole, exploring other ways people put “huge” and “thank you” together.

What follows is a quick list of the ones that stood out the most to me, some of which were interesting and others were just plain wrong.

 

“A huge thank you to you”

Even though this one is correct, it is problematic. On the one hand, it is very uncomfortable to repeat “you” twice and place them so close to each other. It just sounds wordy.

On the other hand, it is redundant. After all, it is already implied that your thanks are directed to the person to whom you are speaking. So, adding that second “you” is actually unnecessary.

The above is probably the only scenario where “a huge thank you to you” is acceptable. Other than that, you’re better off just sticking to “a huge thank you.”

 

”A Huge thanks”

This one is also acceptable. Here, rather than saying “thank you,” you are saying “thanks.” Aside from that, everything else is pretty much the same.

In fact, “a huge thanks” is almost interchangeable with “a huge thank you.”

 

Other ways of expressing profuse gratitude

Since we’re on the topic, let’s look at other ways of letting someone know how grateful you are.

 

I couldn’t have done it without you

I really like this one because it comes across as personable. What’s more, it allows the speaker to show some vulnerability, which is always a good way to foster a relationship with someone else.

So, the next time someone has been crucial in helping you do something, tell them how much they matter.

 

This means a lot to me

This is another personable way of saying thank you. In fact, it shows how much you cherish someone else’s help or input. It shows that whatever they did has actual meaning and importance to you.

 

I want to express my sincere gratitude

Alternatively, this is a more professional-sounding way of saying “thank you very much.” It’s the kind you would use with your boss or with the mayor, especially if you aren’t on a first-name basis with either of them.

 

Words cannot express how grateful I am

Here is another classic. It is also formal, and if you use it with a friend, it might come across as too much. Nevertheless, I like it, and I think people should use it more. After all, regardless of how powerful language is, there are some things that will always remain ineffable.