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Synonyms

unmerciful

American  
[uhn-mur-si-fuhl] / ʌnˈmɜr sɪ fəl /

adjective

  1. merciless; relentless; severe; cruel; pitiless.

  2. unsparingly great, extreme, or excessive, as amounts.

    to talk for an unmerciful length of time.


unmerciful British  
/ ʌnˈmɜːsɪfʊl /

adjective

  1. showing no mercy; relentless

  2. extreme or excessive

"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


Etymology

Origin of unmerciful

First recorded in 1475–85; un- 1 + merciful


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.

See Examples For:

On a bleak night, there was a moment of dark comedy when Brendan Rodgers sat down to assess the unmerciful hiding that had just been inflicted on his team.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2024

The word "cruel" originates from the Latin word crudelis, which is defined as "hardhearted, bloodthirsty, unmerciful and inhuman."

From Salon ● Dec. 12, 2023

Doing stand-up, Leggero is observational and unmerciful, lampooning everyone from Rite-Aid cashiers to typewriter-toting hipsters, a dumpster-diving Burning Man attendee named “Flapjack,” and, naturally, Kasher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2022

It took the huge and sudden migration of the Gold Rush for the tribe to be confronted by unmerciful invaders.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2021

The Reverend Mr. Helmuth was pondering “this unmerciful enemy” as he made his way through the city.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

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