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

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unsparing British  

/ ʌnˈspɛərɪŋ /

adjective

1. not sparing or frugal; lavish; profuse

2. showing harshness or severity; unmerciful

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Other Word Forms

• unsparingly adverb
• unsparingness noun

Etymology

Origin of unsparing

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

Example Sentences

Taylor is hilarious and unsparing, offering an ending that is among the most heartbreaking in literature.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s an unsparing look at what both parties have done to working-class America, told by a writer of empathy and heart.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because these portrayals are so acute and unsparing, Jhabvala is sometimes described as a satirist.

From The Wall Street Journal

While “Queens” casts unsparing light on the experience of the women in America, Ms. Majok is hardly sentimental about what they left behind.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Related Words

• ruthless