Skip to main content
unforgiving

unforgiving

35 5.8
Not willing to forgive someone and acting without mercy
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnfərˈɡɪvɪŋ/
translation icon : rencoroso (persona)
  • Sometimes it is the site of barren fields parched by unforgiving years of drought.
  • an unforgiving environment
  • harsh and unforgiving
  • most unforgiving

He was intolerant, he was unforgiving, and he was merciless.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • It's the most unforgiving thing of what we do, but it's the most important part of what we do.

  • He'd been in Hollywood all of his life, and he knew it was an unforgiving town.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • But it can also be challenging to be called unforgiving and cold and mean when that is not who you are.

  • Why are you being so unforgiving?

  • Down in the street, it's unforgiving.

  • My father is a hard and unforgiving man where Francis is concerned.

  • While Americans love the idea of danger, we are unforgiving when it leads to the actual loss of life.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Why do you call it the unforgiving race to greatness?

  • It takes a long time and it can be an unforgiving process.

  • The boss was unforgiving when it came to deadlines; any late submission was met with harsh criticism.

Synonyms

mean
vsunforgiving
699 2.2

Unkind and cruel toward other people

centers on not granting forgiveness rather than mere nastiness
ruthless
vsunforgiving
152 4.9

Not feeling sorry for others and hurting them on purpose

is about refusing forgiveness rather than calculated cruelty
relentless
vsunforgiving
131 5.1

Keeps going without stopping and stays very strong

focuses on refusal to show mercy rather than persistence alone
unkind
vsunforgiving
44 1.0

Not friendly or caring to other people

goes further by refusing pardon, not only being unfriendly
stern
vsunforgiving
42 4.3

Serious and strict, not willing to change

is harsher, specifically refusing to forgive rather than just strictness
merciless
vsunforgiving
33 5.3

Showing no pity and treating people in a cruel way

is about refusing to forgive rather than only lacking kindness
unrelenting
vsunforgiving
28 7.0

Not stopping and not getting less strong

is about stubborn refusal to forgive, not only ongoing severity
uncompromising
vsunforgiving
24 6.8

Not willing to change opinions or demands, even if it causes problems

is similar but centers on unwillingness to forgive people
inexorable
vsunforgiving
  • Formal
11 8.6

Impossible to stop or change

applies to refusal to forgive as an unyielding moral stance
unyielding
vsunforgiving
10 6.5

Very firm in decisions and not willing to change or give up

adds moral refusal to forgive rather than only firmness
remorseless
vsunforgiving
6 7.5

Not feeling sorry and continuing without stopping when hurting others

is centered on not forgiving rather than on lack of regret
uncharitable
vsunforgiving
5 6.7

Not kind or generous and quick to judge others harshly

includes a refusal to forgive as a specific harsh trait
unmerciful
vsunforgiving
2 7.1

Being very cruel and not kind to others

focuses on unwillingness to forgive rather than sheer cruelty
unsparing
vsunforgiving
2 7.9

Very harsh and not forgiving when criticizing or acting

is more about unwillingness to forgive than only harshness
uncompassionate
vsunforgiving
1 7.3

Not caring when other people suffer

adds the idea of refusing forgiveness, not just absent sympathy
hardhearted
vsunforgiving
1 7.2

Not feeling or showing pity for other people

leans more on moral refusal to forgive rather than coldness
unpitying
vsunforgiving
8.8

Not showing kindness or mercy when others suffer

emphasizes refusal to forgive more than simple lack of feeling
noncharitable
vsunforgiving
6.7

Not showing kindness to other people

is specifically about not forgiving rather than general unkindness
unforbearing
vsunforgiving
9.9

Not willing to be patient with other people

is focused on not forgiving rather than only lacking patience

Antonyms

64 3.1

Ready to stop feeling angry after someone hurts you

54 3.3

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

How Forgiving

forgiving
64 3.1
tolerant
72 3.2
strict
359 3.2
stern
42 4.3
unforgiving
35 5.8
merciless
33 5.3

Surface Forms

unforgiving positive
unforgivinger comparative
unforgivingest superlative

Morphology

unforgiving = forgiving (transparent) = un + forgive + ing

The adjective is formed by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to the adjective 'forgiving', yielding a straightforward negation.

Etymology

Unforgiving is made of un- meaning 'not' and forgive, which is related to the simple word give and means 'to give up anger' or 'let go of a grudge'. So an unforgiving person, look, or situation does not 'let go' and feels harsh or without mercy.