intolerant

adjective

in·​tol·​er·​ant (ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rənt 

-ˈtä--rənt

1

: unable or unwilling to endure

2

a

: unwilling to grant equal freedom of expression especially in religious matters

b

: unwilling to grant or share social, political, or professional rights : bigoted

3

: exhibiting physiological intolerance

lactose intolerant

intolerantly adverb

intolerantness noun

Synonyms

• impatient

Examples of intolerant in a Sentence

intolerant of fools, she is not an easy person to work for

intolerant people who callously deny others the very rights that they take for granted

Recent Examples on the Web

But the Soviet system was simply too intolerant of disagreements to leave their loyalties to chance. —Jeremy Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2024

Her experiences in a notoriously intolerant industry have led her to transform her own kitchen into a place of vulnerability and growth. —J. Kenji López-Alt, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024

Facing an existential threat, Ukrainian authorities and the public became increasingly intolerant of the endemic corruption that has plagued the country since its independence in 1991. —Polina Beliakova, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2023

Russia was still a very intolerant society, despite the Soviet Union being long gone. —David Junk, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing intolerant

• lactose intolerant

Kids Definition

intolerant

adjective

in·​tol·​er·​ant (ˈ)in-ˈtäl-(ə-)rənt 

1

: unable or unwilling to endure

2

: unwilling to grant equality, freedom, or other social rights

intolerantly adverb

Medical Definition

intolerant

adjective

in·​tol·​er·​ant

(ˈ)in-ˈtäl(-ə)-rənt

: exhibiting physiological intolerance : unable to properly metabolize or absorb a substance

People who are lactose intolerant cannot digest lactose because their small intestines do not produce enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose down …

—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue