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
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
Driven by the Federal Reserve’s relentless interest rate increases, average 30-year mortgage rates have more than doubled in two years, topping out at 7.8% in late October.
—
Richard McGahey, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
As the war in the Middle East raged on, sparking relentless and horrific news headlines, a family member unexpectedly landed in the hospital here in California.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Even with the news of a temporary humanitarian pause and prisoner exchange deal in which Hamas has released some hostages from Gaza, these voters are saying Biden is not doing enough in light of Israel's relentless bombardment of the territory in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack.
—Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 28 Nov. 2023
Aid and respite in Gaza The pause has given some respite to Gaza’s 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas.
—Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2023
Its games are easy to armchair-quarterback, and its twists relentless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
Wexton described exhaustion, missed therapy appointments and lost sleep as the effects of the recent relentless House schedule.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2023
Michael Jordan: a player with a relentless, almost sociopathic, desire to win while soaring through the sky, the whole world wanting to Be Like Mike, the tragic murder of his father, the odd baseball excursion before returning to the NBA to reassert his dominance.
—Will Leitch, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2023
Unable to curb Bayard’s persistent hunger strikes, continuous acts of insubordination, and relentless calls for the abolition of segregation within the United States penal system, the warden ultimately resorted to transferring Bayard to a different penitentiary.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
Richard McGahey, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
As the war in the Middle East raged on, sparking relentless and horrific news headlines, a family member unexpectedly landed in the hospital here in California.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Even with the news of a temporary humanitarian pause and prisoner exchange deal in which Hamas has released some hostages from Gaza, these voters are saying Biden is not doing enough in light of Israel's relentless bombardment of the territory in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack.
—Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 28 Nov. 2023
Aid and respite in Gaza The pause has given some respite to Gaza’s 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas.
—Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2023
Its games are easy to armchair-quarterback, and its twists relentless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
Wexton described exhaustion, missed therapy appointments and lost sleep as the effects of the recent relentless House schedule.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2023
Michael Jordan: a player with a relentless, almost sociopathic, desire to win while soaring through the sky, the whole world wanting to Be Like Mike, the tragic murder of his father, the odd baseball excursion before returning to the NBA to reassert his dominance.
—Will Leitch, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2023
Unable to curb Bayard’s persistent hunger strikes, continuous acts of insubordination, and relentless calls for the abolition of segregation within the United States penal system, the warden ultimately resorted to transferring Bayard to a different penitentiary.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relentless.' 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
1592, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to relentless
Dictionary Entries Near relentless
Cite this Entry
“Relentless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relentless. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on relentless
Nglish: Translation of relentless for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of relentless for Arabic Speakers
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