Synonyms

relentless

American

[ri-lent-lis] / rɪˈlɛnt lɪs /

adjective

not easing or slackening; maintaining speed, vigor, etc..

a relentless barrage of bad news.
unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh.

a relentless crackdown on human rights.

Synonyms:

unyielding, adamant, obdurate, unbending, rigid

Antonyms:

merciful

relentless British

/ rɪˈlɛntlɪs /

adjective

(of an enemy, hostile attitude, etc) implacable; inflexible; inexorable
(of pace or intensity) sustained; unremitting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See inflexible.

Other Word Forms

relentlessly adverb
relentlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of relentless

First recorded in 1585–95; relent + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Scottish weather is cold, gray and relentless.

From Salon

Paramount’s pressure campaign had been relentless, first winning over theater owners, who expressed alarm over Netflix’s business model that encourages consumers to watch movies in their homes.

From Los Angeles Times

Looking out at the blue and yellow cranes towering over the Black Sea horizon, Viktor Berestenko worries about the relentless Russian bombardment of Odesa, Ukraine's southern port city.

From Barron's

Sports events will create spikes in demand, for example at half time, while concerts produce "relentless, sustained pressure from start to finish".

From BBC

If you have been hit by relentless rain and flooding this winter you might well be expecting the weather to have broken some records.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023