relentless

[ri-lent-lis]

See more synonyms for relentless on Thesaurus.com

adjective

that does not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting: a relentless enemy.

Origin of relentless

First recorded in 1585–95; relent + -less

Related formsre·lent·less·ly, adverbre·lent·less·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

rigid, unbending, obdurate, adamant, unyielding. See inflexible.

Antonyms

merciful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for relentlessly

Contemporary Examples

She was 16 when she enrolled in middle school, but her classmates teased her relentlessly.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian State
Lizzie Crocker
October 31, 2014
Certainly, the relentlessly negative press coverage of physicians sets the tone.
How Being a Doctor Became the Most Miserable Profession
Daniela Drake
April 14, 2014
He volunteers, with leadership and labor, for Habitat for Humanity, and he relentlessly and tirelessly writes.
Jimmy Carter Was a Lot Better President Than Almost Anyone Ever Admits
David Masciotra
April 1, 2014
Most of all, how could anyone film—or inflict upon viewers—such gratuitous, relentlessly grubby sexual content?
Why ‘Girls’ Is Bad for Women
Emma Woolf
March 31, 2014
This December, by contrast, the data flow for the final weeks of the year has been relentlessly upbeat.
Send in the Drones? Retailers Ruined This Christmas
Daniel Gross
December 26, 2013

Historical Examples

Strive and grope as he would, the thing had driven him on relentlessly.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
She would be cross-examined, kindly enough but relentlessly.
The Heart of Thunder Mountain
Edfrid A. Bingham
The vivid image of Miss Haldin seemed to stand by him, watching him relentlessly.
Under Western Eyes
Joseph Conrad
The dream moved on relentlessly toward its inevitable catastrophe.
Possessed
Cleveland Moffett
“Hit's the fourth time since sorghum time,” the boy went on relentlessly.
In Happy Valley
John Fox

British Dictionary definitions for relentlessly

relentless

adjective

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

Derived Formsrelentlessly, adverbrelentlessness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for relentlessly

relentless

adj.

1590s, from relent + -less. Related: Relentlessly; relentlessness.

relentless

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}relentless

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for relentlessly

Contemporary Examples

She was 16 when she enrolled in middle school, but her classmates teased her relentlessly.

Certainly, the relentlessly negative press coverage of physicians sets the tone.

He volunteers, with leadership and labor, for Habitat for Humanity, and he relentlessly and tirelessly writes.

Most of all, how could anyone film—or inflict upon viewers—such gratuitous, relentlessly grubby sexual content?

This December, by contrast, the data flow for the final weeks of the year has been relentlessly upbeat.

Historical Examples

Strive and grope as he would, the thing had driven him on relentlessly.

She would be cross-examined, kindly enough but relentlessly.

The vivid image of Miss Haldin seemed to stand by him, watching him relentlessly.

The dream moved on relentlessly toward its inevitable catastrophe.

“Hit's the fourth time since sorghum time,” the boy went on relentlessly.

relentless

Word Origin and History for relentlessly

relentless

adj.

Origin of relentless