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Glite Dictionary
🌧️ Severe weather 😠 Harsh or unkind
inclement

inclement

8.2
Harsh behavior that shows no kindness
  • adjective
  • /ɪnˈklɛmənt/
  • Formal
translation icon : severo
  • His inclement behavior during the meeting made everyone uncomfortable and afraid to voice their opinions.

Examples

  • The teacher's inclement approach to late assignments left no room for excuses from the students.

  • The coach was inclement in her criticism, pushing the athletes to improve despite the harsh feedback.

  • To this, Pareus responded in an inclement mood.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

unbearable
vsinclement
89 3.9

Too painful or unpleasant to stand

is about a person acting harshly without mercy rather than describing intensity

Antonyms

gentle
235 1.0

Kind and not strong in action, sound, or touch

merciful
54 3.3

Kind and willing to forgive someone who is suffering or has done wrong

clement
9.1

Ready to forgive people and give lighter punishments

How Harsh

merciless
33 5.3
severe
520 3.5
inclement
  • Formal
8.2
harsh
289 2.8
tough
403 3.8

Surface Forms

inclement positive

Morphology

inclement = clement (transparent) = in + clement

For this sense, 'inclement' is a straightforward negative formation from 'clement', meaning not mild or merciful.

Etymology

Inclement comes from the Latin parts in- meaning 'not' and clemens meaning 'mild' or 'merciful', the same root you see in clemency ('mercy'). So an inclement person or action is 'not merciful' and is harsh or severe.