unforgiving
Americanadjective
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not disposed to forgive or show mercy; unrelenting.
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not allowing for mistakes, carelessness, or weakness.
the unforgiving nature of aviation.
adjective
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not willing to forgive; unmerciful
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(of a machine, system, etc) allowing little or no opportunity for mistakes to be corrected
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harsh and unremitting
an unforgiving and desolate landscape
Other Word Forms
- unforgivingness noun
Etymology
Origin of unforgiving
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.
It’s also an unforgiving portrait of the daughter, who is far from sympathetic as she whines, throws tantrums and makes endless demands.
From Los Angeles Times
Enduring hardship can make it worse, and put an entire mission at risk because the cold is so unforgiving.
The rugby world knows Scotland can beat England, but not many folk knew they could come from so many points down in an unforgiving place to win a battle.
From BBC
As a manager, you are thrust almost immediately into the jaws of our unforgiving media and questions about tactics, substitutions and your team's overall performance are fired at you, sometimes under severe pressure.
From BBC
Vonn’s crash highlights both the unforgiving nature of alpine skiing and the extraordinary lengths elite athletes sometimes go to in pursuit of competition.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
