unforgiving
adjective
un·for·giv·ing
ˌən-fər-ˈgi-viŋ 
1
: unwilling or unable to forgive
2
: having or making no allowance for error or weakness
… an unforgiving environment where false moves can prove fatal.—
Jaclyn Fierman
Jaclyn 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
Not 48 hours earlier, Arenas was confined to his bed, sick with a particularly unforgiving form of the flu.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
People saw the breaking point in unforgiving real time.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Their schedule over the next week is unforgiving.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
More complicated still was the challenge of translating kabuki makeup — which, much like Western stage makeup, is traditionally designed to read clearly across a theater — to the unforgiving scrutiny of cinematic closeups.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unforgiving
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Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
People saw the breaking point in unforgiving real time.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Their schedule over the next week is unforgiving.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
More complicated still was the challenge of translating kabuki makeup — which, much like Western stage makeup, is traditionally designed to read clearly across a theater — to the unforgiving scrutiny of cinematic closeups.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unforgiving
Cite this Entry
“Unforgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforgiving. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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