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Synonyms

forgiving

American  
[fer-giv-ing] / fərˈgɪv ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. disposed to forgive; indicating forgiveness.

    a forgiving soul; a forgiving smile.

  2. tolerant.

    The mountain is not forgiving of inexperienced climbers.
forgiving British  
/ fəˈɡɪvɪŋ /

adjective

  1. willing to forgive; merciful

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • forgivingly adverb
  • forgivingness noun
  • nonforgiving adjective

Etymology

Origin of forgiving

First recorded in 1680–90; forgive + -ing 2

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.

Space isn’t a forgiving place to be stuck.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Defectors have been promised amnesty, but the Revolutionary Guards know Iranians will have difficulty forgiving them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 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

He notes that it can be difficult to scale up origami-based designs and also to use them with materials that aren't paper – which is extremely forgiving even after being folded and re-folded many times.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

And I had a hard time imagining forgiving somebody who had done the same thing.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

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.