Is It Correct To Say “Much Appreciated”?

Have you heard the expression “Much Appreciated” and wondered what it means and whether or not it is grammatically correct? The English language has many sayings and phrases, some of which, while in common use, are incorrect that you should avoid.

Saying “Much appreciated” is correct when you use it in an informal setting as an alternative to saying “Thank you” to someone for something they have done for you. In formal cases, using “Much appreciated” is inappropriate, as the phrase is not considered to be professional in tone. Unless you’re very familiar with the person, it’s best to avoid using this phrase.

Read on to find out what saying “much appreciated” entails, how to use it in a sentence, and what other phrases you can use to say “thank you.”

What Does Saying “Much Appreciated” Mean?

“Much appreciated” is a way of expressing gratitude towards someone else for some form of help or gesture. It is a shortened version of “It is much appreciated” or “X is much appreciated.”  

In simpler terms, “Much appreciated” is another way to thank someone for something that they have done for you.

You can use “Much appreciated” in a sentence or use it as a stand-alone phrase, and it would be a grammatically correct statement to replace “Thank you” (source).

In What Context Can You Use “Much Appreciated”?

“Much appreciated” is more commonly used in an informal or casual setting. One uses it to express thanks for something someone has done for you or will do for you in the future, usually with someone close to you.

In An Informal Setting

Many people use it at the end of an email, instant message conversation, or for in-person requests and conversations. 

When we use the phrase after a quick gesture or small favor from a good friend, “Much appreciated” is a sufficient way of expressing gratitude, and the recipient will likely interpret it as genuine.

However, in some cases, “Much appreciated” may not come off the way you intend.

When Not To Use “Much Appreciated”

Some situations require more caution when choosing your expression of gratitude. The context you use it in determines how your audience interprets it, and it can come off as flippant or insincere if you’re not careful.

Generally, you should not use “Much appreciated” while writing a formal letter or professional email, where the recipient may deem it as lazy or lacking in interest. 

For these reasons, “Much appreciated” is more acceptable to use in an informal or casual situation rather than a formal situation.

Using “Much Appreciated” in A Full Sentence

Still, while using “Much appreciated” may be considered inappropriate in most formal settings, using “Much appreciated” in a full sentence rather than the abbreviated version is usually acceptable.

For example, to close a formal message and express gratitude, you could say, “Your time is very much appreciated” as opposed to “Much appreciated.”

In a full sentence, it is always preceded by an auxiliary verb, such as “is,” “were,” or “be”(source).

Here are some examples to showcase how you can apply “Much appreciated” in a sentence to appropriately.

• Helping me with these exam questions will be much appreciated. 
• Children’s clothes as donations are much appreciated in the winter months.
• The gift I received was much appreciated.
• Those flowers you sent her were very much appreciated while she was in the hospital.
• Your advice over coffee dates is very much appreciated.

As you can see in these examples, using “much appreciated” in this way comes across as genuine and meaningful in comparison to using “Much appreciated” on its own.

It is worth mentioning that “much appreciated” states that someone appreciates something, but it does not specify who that person is. True, we usually expect the recipient to infer that we mean that we appreciated what they did, but it can come off as evasive.

This is why placing the phrase within a larger context helps to make it more acceptable. On its own, it’s almost like you’re avoiding stating that you are the one who appreciated something.

“Much Appreciated” or “Much Appreciate It”?

While learning English, you will hear many odd phrases and colloquialisms by native English speakers (source). In passing, you may think you heard someone saying “Much appreciate it” instead of “Much appreciated” and get rather confused.

Individuals can hear many English phrases in two ways, with one being incorrect. Examples of phrases like this include: “It’s a doggy-dog world” instead of “It’s a dog-eat-dog world” and “Much appreciate it” instead of “Much appreciated.”

“Much appreciate it” is incorrect, and the correct way of using this phrase would either be to say “Much appreciated” or “I appreciate it.”

“I appreciate it” also uses an active voice, indicating the subject performing the action instead of merely implying it, and is appropriate in a formal setting.

Southern US Dialect vs. Eastern US Dialect

All over the world, there are various colloquial ways of expressing thanks. In American English, you’re more likely to encounter the use of “Much appreciated” or “Appreciate it,” depending on the region you live in.

“Much appreciated” is commonly used in the East, and “Appreciate it” is more commonly used in the South and Southeast.

Both phrases are deemed grammatically correct; however, they are still informal, so it is wise to be certain of the context you are using them in to make a good impression.  

How To Use “Appreciate It” in a Sentence

Similar to “Much appreciated,” you can also use “Appreciate it” to show thanks to someone. “Appreciate it” is less common to use as a phrase, and you will hear it more commonly in full sentence form preceded by certain pronouns. 

In What Context Can You Use “Appreciate It”?

“Appreciate it” can be used as a stand-alone phrase, or in a sentence, to show thanks for something someone has done for you. In a sentence, “appreciate it” is always preceded by a pronoun, like “I,” “we,” or “they.”

Here are some examples of how “appreciate it” can be used in a sentence.

• I appreciate it when you phone me once a week.
• Do you remember the way you stood up for me yesterday? I appreciate it.
• Thank you for helping my mom with her groceries; we appreciate it.
• Grandparents really appreciate it when you say “Thank you” for your food.
• When we were kids, I used to really appreciate it when you came to my birthday parties. 

These examples show us that “appreciate it” can serve as a genuine way to thank someone for something that they have done or still do.

Other Phrases To Use Instead of “Much Appreciated”

The English language can get confusing when we consider how many phrases and words can be used interchangeably with one another. 

Don’t be intimidated because many interchangeable phrases can be used based mainly on personal preferences. You can replace two interchangeable phrases with each other, and the context should remain the same (source).

There are many other phrases that you can use instead of “Much appreciated,” and here are some examples (source):

Phrase	Phrase forming part of a sentence
Thank you.	Thank you for the generous gift.
Many thanks.	Many thanks to you and your wife for the lovely dinner.
Much obliged.	A lift for my daughter to school will be much obliged this morning.
Thanks a lot.	Thanks a lot for helping me paint last weekend.
Greatly Appreciated.	Your kind words were greatly appreciated.

For information on how to thank more than one person, read our article, “Is It Correct to Say, ‘Thank You Both’?”

In the USA, native English speakers from different regions tend to favor different phrases in general. While you can use any of these and technically be correct, you may wish to blend in more in your particular area.

Here is a table showing the favored phrase based on the region to help you decide which one you may want to use.

Phrase	The region most commonly used
Much Appreciated	Eastern US Region
Appreciate It	Southern US Region
Much Obliged	Southern US Region

To help you hear the similarities, let us practice interchanging “Much appreciated” with “Much Obliged” in the following examples:

Much appreciated	Much obliged
The sugar you lent me was much appreciated.	The sugar you lent me was much obliged.
Thanks, your advice is much appreciated.	Thanks, your advice is much obliged.
Help to unpack boxes will be much appreciated.	Help to unpack boxes will be much obliged.
It is much appreciated when you express your gratitude.	It is much obliged when you express your gratitude.
A friendly letter to your sister will be much appreciated.	A friendly letter to your sister will be much obliged.

As you can see, you can swap out “Much appreciated” and “Much obliged” directly within the same sentence without changing the meaning.

Final Thoughts

There are so many factors to take into consideration when learning to speak the English Language. How, and when, you say certain things make an impact on how people perceive you. 

Learning how to use phrases correctly can help you make a good impression in a serious situation like a job interview or business email. Happy learning, and keep up the good work!