forgiving
Americanadjective
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disposed to forgive; indicating forgiveness.
a forgiving soul; a forgiving smile.
-
tolerant.
The mountain is not forgiving of inexperienced climbers.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Overindebted railroad builders and heavily mortgaged farmers demanded a less rigorous, more forgiving silver unit, and debate raged between the adherents of “soft” and “hard” money—between silver and gold, inflation and solidity.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
"I felt that society was not forgiving, even though you try your hardest to show people that you have changed," she said.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Typically, this is some combination of cream and eggs, but bread pudding is remarkably forgiving.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
But I found myself in a forgiving mood.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
Although, when I think about it, never forgiving Granny would probably go in the “big plan” category.
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
