unforgiving
Americanadjective
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not disposed to forgive or show mercy; unrelenting.
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not allowing for mistakes, carelessness, or weakness.
the unforgiving nature of aviation.
adjective
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not willing to forgive; unmerciful
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(of a machine, system, etc) allowing little or no opportunity for mistakes to be corrected
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harsh and unremitting
an unforgiving and desolate landscape
Other Word Forms
- unforgivingness noun
Etymology
Origin of unforgiving
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.
Sometimes that image frays under the unforgiving glare of South Korean celebrity life, where there is rarely room for vulnerability.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
“If the two weeks pass without a deal, expect a sharp and unforgiving reversal of this relief rally.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Burnt garlic is acrid and unforgiving; here, it should dissolve into the base of the sauce, barely visible but deeply present.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
Addressing the Australian parliament on Tuesday, von der Leyen described a world that was "brutal, harsh and unforgiving".
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
“Doña Susana will be there watching you,” Mami warned, unnecessarily, since we expected another pair of eyes as stern and unforgiving as hers to watch our every move when she wasn’t around.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
