forgiving
Americanadjective
-
disposed to forgive; indicating forgiveness.
a forgiving soul; a forgiving smile.
-
tolerant.
The mountain is not forgiving of inexperienced climbers.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of forgiving
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.
Frozen puff pastry is wonderfully forgiving, provided you remember that butter prefers to stay cool.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
While England did benefit from some fixtures being played in air-conditioned stadiums with roofs, such as in Atlanta against DR Congo, other conditions were less forgiving.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Annette Gordon-Reed’s tone in “Jefferson on Race” is more forgiving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Hopefully people will make the connection of the importance of dreaming and planning and affirmations but also the importance of letting things go, like forgiving people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
“Why? So you can put things in it? I’m not forgiving your humans, if that’s what you think.”
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
