unrelieved
adjective
un·re·lieved
ˌən-ri-ˈlēvd 
: not relieved
a grim story unrelieved by humor
: such as
a
: not given relief : furnished no assistance, remedy, or mitigation
chronic, unrelieved stress/pain
unrelieved poverty
b
: not including anything that provides a desirable change : monotonous, unvarying
Across that endless, unrelieved grassland came a tumultuous rainstorm …—
James Michener
James Michener
unrelievedly
adverb
If the past several paragraphs have sounded too unrelievedly negative, I hasten to make partial amends.
—Karen Morin
Karen Morin
Examples of unrelieved in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Democratic legislative candidates in Virginia leaned heavily on it, as did Beshear, and Ohio was the latest in an unrelieved series of ballot-measure defeats for pro-lifers.
—The Editors, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023
At times, the book adheres a little too stringently to the rules of its own formal game, though its unrelieved tensions are also a critique of its genre’s easy epiphanies.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2023
Scrutiny of Tuesday’s skies, in their unrelieved dimness, showed few of the bright delights of the season.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 3 May 2023
If you’re constipated and can’t poop, pressure from the unrelieved waste could be pressing on those nerves, causing those sore testicles.
—Elizabeth Millard, Men's Health, 31 Mar. 2023
In the medical domain, autistic people are more likely to experience unrelieved suffering from intestinal distress, epilepsy, and other conditions.
—John Elder Robison, STAT, 23 Mar. 2023
The only possible tactic was unrelieved pressure.
—Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2023
You’re confronted with a world of almost unrelieved cowardice, cynicism, myopia, narcissism, and ineptitude, where the overriding motive is the pursuit of power for its own sake.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 18 May 2022
Acts of unbroken earnestness, like those of unrelieved wickedness, are dull to watch and boring to talk about.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022
See More
The Editors, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023
At times, the book adheres a little too stringently to the rules of its own formal game, though its unrelieved tensions are also a critique of its genre’s easy epiphanies.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2023
Scrutiny of Tuesday’s skies, in their unrelieved dimness, showed few of the bright delights of the season.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 3 May 2023
If you’re constipated and can’t poop, pressure from the unrelieved waste could be pressing on those nerves, causing those sore testicles.
—Elizabeth Millard, Men's Health, 31 Mar. 2023
In the medical domain, autistic people are more likely to experience unrelieved suffering from intestinal distress, epilepsy, and other conditions.
—John Elder Robison, STAT, 23 Mar. 2023
The only possible tactic was unrelieved pressure.
—Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2023
You’re confronted with a world of almost unrelieved cowardice, cynicism, myopia, narcissism, and ineptitude, where the overriding motive is the pursuit of power for its own sake.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 18 May 2022
Acts of unbroken earnestness, like those of unrelieved wickedness, are dull to watch and boring to talk about.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unrelieved.' 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 1525, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unrelieved
Cite this Entry
“Unrelieved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unrelieved. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share