relentless

[ ri-lent-lis ]

adjective

1. not easing or slackening; maintaining speed, vigor, etc.:

   a relentless barrage of bad news.

2. unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh:

   a relentless crackdown on human rights.

   Synonyms: unyielding, adamant, obdurate, unbending, rigid

   Antonyms: merciful

relentless

/ rɪˈlɛntlɪs /

adjective

1. (of an enemy, hostile attitude, etc) implacable; inflexible; inexorable
2. (of pace or intensity) sustained; unremitting

Derived Forms

• reˈlentlessness, noun
• reˈlentlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• re·lent·less·ly adverb
• re·lent·less·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of relentless¹

First recorded in 1585–95; relent + -less

Synonym Study

See inflexible.

Example Sentences

Some voters might even have backed him because of his relentless falsehoods.

From Los Angeles Times

The day after Mr. Trump’s election this month, Mr. Adani posted congratulations on social media, praising the president-elect as “the embodiment of relentless determination and the courage to stay true to his beliefs.”

From New York Times

Back then, it was a handful of female video game developers and critics who were presented to largely male crowds online as targets for relentless, inchoate abuse.

From Salon

A month earlier, they had described the inquiry as a "harrowing ordeal" and a "relentless pursuit".

From BBC

Ukraine marked 1,000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion on Tuesday with Russian forces waging relentless attacks in a bid to seize key hubs in the east of Ukraine.

From BBC

Related Words

• determined
• dogged
• ferocious
• fierce
• harsh
• implacable
• inexorable
• rigorous
• ruthless
• single-minded
• uncompromising
• unforgiving
• unrelenting
• unstoppable
• unyielding