Latexes are thickened by compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an aliphatic, substituted aliphatic, aromatic, or substituted aromatic radical having a valence of from 2 to 8; each of B.sub.1 -B.sub.8 is independently an ester, amide, amine, ether, sulfide, disulfide, thiocarbamate, urea, thiourea, urethane, sulfate, phosphate, carbonyl, methylene, thioamide, carbonate, or imide linkage; each of X.sup.1 -X.sup.8 is independently -A.sub.1 -R.sup.2 -A.sub.2 - or -A.sub.1 - wherein each of A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 is independently an ester, amide, amine, ether, sulfide, disulfide, urethane, thiocarbamate, urea, thiourea, sulfate, phosphate, carbonyl, methylene, thioamide, carbonate, or imide linkage and R.sup.2 is a divalent aliphatic, substituted aliphatic, aromatic, or substituted aromatic radical with the proviso that only one of B.sub.1 -B.sub.8 is urethane and that when one of B.sub.1 -B.sub.8 is urethane, one of A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 is not urethane; each of d, g, j, m, p, s, v, y is independently 0 or 1, each of c, f, i, l, o, r, u, x is independently any integer or non-integer from 0 to about 200; each of J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, S is 0 or 1; each of e, h, k, n, q, t, w, z is independently any integer or non-integer from 0 to about 200; each of R.sup.3 -R.sup.10 is independently an aliphatic, substituted aliphatic, aromatic, or substituted aromatic radical having from 1 to about 50 carbon atoms; each of AG and AO is independently an ethyleneoxy, 1,2-propyleneoxy, 1,2-butyleneoxy unit or combinations thereof.