intolerant
Americanadjective
-
not tolerating or respecting beliefs, opinions, usages, manners, etc., different from one's own, as in political or religious matters; bigoted.
- Synonyms:
- totalitarian, dictatorial, biased, prejudiced, proscriptive, narrow, illiberal
- Antonyms:
- liberal
-
unable or unwilling to tolerate or endure (usually followed byof ).
intolerant of very hot weather.
-
unable to fully digest or absorb a specified food or drug (used postpositively or in combination).
lactose intolerant; aspirin-intolerant.
noun
adjective
-
lacking respect for practices and beliefs other than one's own
-
not able or willing to tolerate or endure
intolerant of noise
Related Words
Intolerant, fanatical, bigoted refer to strongly illiberal attitudes. Intolerant refers to an active refusal to allow others to have or put into practice beliefs different from one's own: intolerant in politics; intolerant of other customs. Bigoted is to be so emotionally or subjectively attached to one's own belief as to be hostile to all others: a bigoted person. Fanatical applies to unreasonable or extreme action in maintaining one's beliefs and practices without necessary reference to others: a fanatical religious sect.
Other Word Forms
- intolerance noun
- intolerantly adverb
- quasi-intolerant adjective
- quasi-intolerantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of intolerant
1725–35; < Latin intolerant- (stem of intolerāns ) impatient. See in- 3, tolerant
Explanation
When you're intolerant, you can't or won't put up with something. Usually, that means you're not very open-minded. Being intolerant can mean you have a medical condition, like lactose intolerant people who can't eat dairy products. But more often being intolerant means you're unwilling to tolerate other ideas, opinions, beliefs or cultures. Homophobic people are intolerant of gay people. Sexist people are intolerant of women. Racist people are intolerant of people from other races. So it's safe to say intolerant people aren't the friendliest folks.
Vocabulary lists containing intolerant
Speak
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A Mighty Long Way
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Frightful's Mountain
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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.
Shortly after Meadow Lane opened, customers posted online about undercooked chicken nuggets; another shopper, who was lactose intolerant, said that she’d bought chili topped with cheese that wasn’t on the list of ingredients.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
"The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality," the Nigerian leader said in a statement.
From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025
"The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality," Tinubu said on social media Saturday.
From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025
With more than a third of US consumers lactose intolerant, this market will need to double just to address our basic health requirements.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2024
She said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
