unsparing

[uhn-spair-ing]

adjective

1. not sparing; sparing; liberal or profuse; excessive.

   Synonyms: bountiful, lavish, generous

2. unmerciful; harsh; severe.

   Synonyms: relentless, unrelenting, merciless

unsparing

/ ʌnˈspɛərɪŋ /

adjective

1. not sparing or frugal; lavish; profuse

2. showing harshness or severity; unmerciful

Other Word Forms

• unsparingly adverb
• unsparingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unsparing¹

First recorded in 1580–90; un- ¹ + sparing

Example Sentences

Yet if Mr. Carpenter made unsparing depictions of the present and future, he also refused to find any comfort in the past: 1983’s “Christine,” based on the book by Stephen King, skewers 1950s nostalgia.

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“House of Diggs” is unsparing in its portrait of the corruption that tarnishes its subject’s memory.

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Sudden, unsparing and almost startling in its intensity, he unburdened himself.

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Foster was more unsparing in his estimation of how much work was left to do.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The reaction to their 27-19 loss to the Lions in Brisbane was unsparing and questioning of not just their mettle but the veritable future of the game in Australia.

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Related Words

• ruthless