relentless
American
adjective
-
(of an enemy, hostile attitude, etc) implacable; inflexible; inexorable
-
(of pace or intensity) sustained; unremitting
Synonym Usage
See inflexible.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of relentless
Explanation
Relentless is a good word for describing something that's harsh, unforgiving, and persistent, like the hot sun in the desert, or a cold that keeps you in bed for days with a nose like a strawberry. When you're relentless about something, you mean business. You're not stopping until you get what you want, and you're not taking "no" for an answer. People might try to steer you from your goal, but you have eyes only for the prize and they're just going to have to get out of your way. If you're a relentless student, for instance, you might stay up all night studying your vocabulary, just in case there might be a quiz in the morning.
Vocabulary lists containing relentless
The Giver
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A Long Walk to Water
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Power Suffix: -less
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the coastal Gambian town of Tanji, Sirah Darboe-Manneh cleans fish next to a row of ice boxes laying empty because of relentless power cuts.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Saxo Markets said AI valuations assume a relentless pace of model development, warning that memory chips could face oversupply risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Tottenham were relentless at the end of the 2016-17 season, winning 12 of their final 13 matches to finish on 86 points.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“She survived devastating trauma, two pellets lodged in her head, and a relentless infection that gradually destroyed part of her jaw — yet she continued adapting, searching for food and fighting to remain alive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
This relentless push by British, French, Belgian, and American armies fighting side by side finally broke the spirit of the German army and ended its willingness to continue a hopeless fight.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
