unforgiving

adjective

un·​for·​giv·​ing ˌən-fər-ˈgi-viŋ How to pronounce unforgiving (audio)
1
: unwilling or unable to forgive
2
: having or making no allowance for error or weakness
an unforgiving environment where false moves can prove fatalJaclyn Fierman
unforgivingness noun

Examples of unforgiving in a Sentence

They are unforgiving of the smallest mistake. the unforgiving world of politics
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But within this unforgiving landscape, made famous by Steve Irwin’s Crocodile Hunter, are braids of rivers, bouncing marsupials, rolling mountains, ancient reptiles, coastal cliffs dwarfing California’s Big Sur, and the oldest continuous living culture in the world, all ready to be explored. Dalton Johnson, Robb Report, 21 Jan. 2025 A couple of months ago, those questions would have prompted some pretty unforgiving answers; underperforming, erratic, perhaps even mediocre. George Caulkin, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025 The candid expressions of both the nomad and the dog evoke a sense of warmth and connection, even in a harsh and unforgiving environment. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025 Many were about urban men and women and their struggles to settle and survive in the canyons and hills of unforgiving environments. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unforgiving 

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unforgiving was in 1713

Dictionary Entries Near unforgiving

Cite this Entry

“Unforgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforgiving. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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