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Showing results for unrelenting. Search instead for unrivetting.
Synonyms

unrelenting

American  
[uhn-ri-len-ting] / ˌʌn rɪˈlɛn tɪŋ /

adjective

  1. not relenting; not yielding or swerving in determination or resolution, as of or from opinions, convictions, ambitions, ideals, etc.; inflexible.

    an unrelenting opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment.
    Synonyms:
    remorseless, cruel, pitiless, ruthless, unmerciful, merciless, relentless

  2. not easing or slackening in severity.

    an unrelenting rain.
    Synonyms:
    inexorable, implacable, unremitting

  3. maintaining speed, effort, vigor, intensity, rate of advance, etc..

    an unrelenting attack.
unrelenting British  
/ ˌʌnrɪˈlɛntɪŋ /

adjective

  1. refusing to relent or take pity; relentless; merciless

  2. not diminishing in determination, speed, effort, force, etc

"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

  • unrelentingly adverb
  • unrelentingness noun

Etymology

Origin of unrelenting

First recorded in 1580–90; un- 1 + relent + -ing 2

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.

Residents described headaches and an unrelenting bitter taste in their mouths as the stench of smoke filled their homes.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

A daily unrelenting dread from which there is no sign of escape.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Anselmet pushed on, his smooth metronomic movements belying the intense physical effort required on the unrelenting course.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

It delves into the couple’s whirlwind romance, the unrelenting paparazzi and public scrutiny, their rumored family tensions and the events that led up to their deaths.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

I was back at the master’s, instantly recharged with the familiar, unrelenting tension and the need to escape, but this time I was plotting it together with the other boys.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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.