intolerant

adjective

in·​tol·​er·​ant (ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rənt How to pronounce intolerant (audio)
-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

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 It was further disfigured by his intolerant and narcissistic manner, so much so that his popular deputy, François Ruffin, had separated himself from the party, declaring Mélenchon an obstacle to progress and a burden to the left before Sunday’s election. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024 Were there not even these inducements to moderation, nothing could be more ill-judged than that intolerant spirit which has, at all times, characterized political parties. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 30 May 2024 In reality, European powers strangled Syrian independence in its crib, and by the late 1930s, an intolerant form of Islam and autocratic Arab nationalism came to prevail in the Middle East. Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2020 But as Chinese nationalism turns more aggressive and intolerant under the leadership of Xi Jinping, Japanese schools in China have faced growing criticism and suspicion. Nectar Gan, CNN, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for intolerant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intolerant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of intolerant was circa 1735

Dictionary Entries Near intolerant

Cite this Entry

“Intolerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intolerant. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

intolerant

adjective
in·​tol·​er·​ant (ˈ)in-ˈtäl-(ə-)rənt How to pronounce intolerant (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on intolerant

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