Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

unsparing

American  
[uhn-spair-ing] / ʌnˈspɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. not sparing; sparing; liberal or profuse; excessive.

    Synonyms:
    bountiful, lavish, generous

  2. unmerciful; harsh; severe.

    Synonyms:
    relentless, unrelenting, merciless
unsparing British  
/ ʌnˈspɛərɪŋ /

adjective

  1. not sparing or frugal; lavish; profuse

  2. showing harshness or severity; unmerciful

"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

  • unsparingly adverb
  • unsparingness noun

Etymology

Origin of unsparing

First recorded in 1580–90; un- 1 + sparing

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.

Ms. Feldman, a longtime writer for Publishers Weekly, tracks the company’s history—roughly 24% of which has unfolded since she began the book in 2002—in meticulous, unsparing detail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Yet if Mr. Carpenter made unsparing depictions of the present and future, he also refused to find any comfort in the past: 1983’s “Christine,” based on the book by Stephen King, skewers 1950s nostalgia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Foster was more unsparing in his estimation of how much work was left to do.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

The reaction to their 27-19 loss to the Lions in Brisbane was unsparing and questioning of not just their mettle but the veritable future of the game in Australia.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

Volpe can be unsparing when he needs to be.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

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.