unforgiving

adjective

un·​for·​giv·​ing ˌən-fər-ˈgi-viŋ How to pronounce unforgiving (audio)
1
: unwilling or unable to forgive
2
: having or making no allowance for error or weakness
an unforgiving environment where false moves can prove fatalJaclyn Fierman
unforgivingness noun

Examples of unforgiving in a Sentence

They are unforgiving of the smallest mistake. the unforgiving world of politics
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Endurance athlete Colin O'Brady, celebrated internationally in 2018 as the first person to traverse Antarctica solo and unassisted, is returning to the unforgiving continent for an even more arduous trek. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025 This is a dense, unforgiving movie in the classic sense, an adults-only drama that doesn’t placate despite its stylistic overreaches. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Sep. 2025 The story of the bitter conflict ripping Loving County apart is inseparable from its history, one of hardship, survival, and ties to an unforgiving place that are born deep inside a person’s bones like marrow. Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 These people, raised in an unforgiving place, have no need for any of our Alien jargon. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unforgiving

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unforgiving was in 1713

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unforgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforgiving. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unforgiving

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!