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.
A combination of unusually dry conditions and unseasonably high temperatures will make Augusta National’s famously tricky greens even faster and even less forgiving.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Space isn’t a forgiving place to be stuck.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
The Georgia jury was not so forgiving of a parent who gave an AR-15 to a 14-year-old child.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
It can turn a rancorous conversation into a more soulful and forgiving one.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
“I wish I could be as good and forgiving as José Marti wants us to be.”
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
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.
