unforgiving
Americanadjective
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not disposed to forgive or show mercy; unrelenting.
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not allowing for mistakes, carelessness, or weakness.
the unforgiving nature of aviation.
adjective
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not willing to forgive; unmerciful
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(of a machine, system, etc) allowing little or no opportunity for mistakes to be corrected
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harsh and unremitting
an unforgiving and desolate landscape
Other Word Forms
- unforgivingness noun
Etymology
Origin of unforgiving
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.
Beattie says that, amid unforgiving moments, Galthie could also create occasions away from rugby to draw his team together.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Succulents in particular thrive in this unforgiving landscape using ingenious strategies to survive, from water storage to light reflection.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
It’s also an unforgiving portrait of the daughter, who is far from sympathetic as she whines, throws tantrums and makes endless demands.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
Czin of Brookings describes this as the “ultimate demonstration of Xi’s coldbloodedness,” proving he is willing to discard “lifelong-revolutionary ties to ensure the military lives up to his unforgiving standards.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Eventually, I found what I thought was the path we had walked Zu out on, but it turned out to be nothing more than an old side trail, overgrown and unforgiving to bare skin.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
