Skip to main content
unforgiveness

unforgiveness

1 7.7
A feeling of holding anger about someone and not letting go of hurt
  • noun
  • /ˌʌnfərˈɡɪv.nəs/
translation icon : falta de perdón
  • You cannot have peace until you let go of thoughts of revenge, hatred, malice, unforgiveness—all negative thoughts and emotions.

You can't sip the poison of unforgiveness and expect them to die.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • People will sit with unforgiveness in their heart for years, years, and years.

  • And that let Ray know that he was holding unforgiveness against his father.

  • But the point is she may see holding on to unforgiveness as a way to keep herself in check.

  • Most of my own sense of "unforgiveness" has to do with childhood episodes.

    Blog text (25)
  • Forgive because unforgiveness will block your access to God's throne of grace.

    Blog text (8)
  • I never thought of unforgiveness as being prideful.

    Blog text (5)
  • It's not something we can understand in our minds because our minds are too often influenced by our unforgiveness.

    Blog text (25)
  • I think that there's so much unforgiveness just just in humanity right now.

  • The main cause is unforgiveness and serious murderous grudges.

    Blog text (27)
  • Holding onto unforgiveness can prevent you from moving forward in life.

Synonyms

resentment
vsunforgiveness
172 4.2

A long, strong feeling of anger toward someone who treated you unfairly

is a lasting refusal to forgive that keeps the anger alive
bitterness
vsunforgiveness
75 3.4

A strong feeling of anger and hurt toward someone

is specifically the unwillingness to forgive, not just a harsh mood
grutch
vsunforgiveness
  • US
9.9

A long feeling of anger that stops you from forgiving someone

is a broader lasting state of holding resentment rather than one specific grudge
unmercifulness
vsunforgiveness
8.9

Not showing kindness or forgiveness to others

is about holding resentment toward someone rather than general harsh behavior
unforgivingness
vsunforgiveness
9.8

Harshness that does not allow mistakes or weakness

is about keeping personal resentment and refusing to forgive others

Antonyms

333 2.2

An act of letting go of anger toward someone after they hurt you

114 5.3

A return to friendly relations after a disagreement

How Forgiving

reconciliation
114 5.3
forgiveness
333 2.2
unforgiveness
1 7.7
grudge
148 4.3
resentment
172 4.2

Surface Forms

unforgiveness singular

Morphology

unforgiveness = forgiveness (transparent) = un + forgive + ness

A straightforward negation of the noun 'forgiveness' by the productive prefix 'un-', yielding 'the state of not forgiving'.

Etymology

Unforgiveness starts with un- meaning 'not' and the rest is forgive, which is like give and means 'to let go of a wrong'. So unforgiveness is like 'not letting go', holding on to hurt or anger.