relentless

adjective

re·​lent·​less ri-ˈlent-ləs 

: showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace : unrelenting

relentless pressure

a relentless campaign

relentlessly adverb

relentlessness noun

Synonyms of relentless

• grim
• determined
• persistent
• unrelenting
• ruthless

Examples of relentless in a Sentence

Her relentless optimism held the team together.

The hunter was relentless in pursuit of his prey.

a relentless opponent of deregulation

Recent Examples on the Web

Even the relentless pursuit of Joao Felix across at least three windows underlines his willingness to sign players who have question marks against them. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026

This Pulitzer-winning neo-slave narrative reimagines the Underground Railroad as a real subterranean network, in a Sisyphean allegory that illustrates the relentless metamorphoses of white supremacy and Black resistance. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 July 2026

Protecting it, while benefiting from the relentless pace of innovation, requires careful management of the implications far more than the quick adoption of the latest and greatest. — Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The relentless look is based on tile work in Montecito’s Casa del Herrero, the 1925 estate of industrialist George Fox Steedman. — R. Daniel Foster, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

relentless

adjective

re·​lent·​less ri-ˈlent-ləs 

: not lessening in severity, intensity, strength, or pace : unrelenting

relentless criticism

relentlessly adverb

relentlessness noun