as in ruthless
not sorry for having done wrong
an impenitent criminal who said he'd do it all over again, given the chance
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Recent Examples of impenitent
For her part, having faced such criticism for over four decades, Newkirk remains blissfully impenitent.
—
Jan Dutkiewicz, Vox, 8 Aug. 2024
Among the various allegations put forward are reports of drugging and fascist group chats, slave labour and foot photograph farms, with the brand’s impenitent founder Stephan Marsan at its centre.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
Just look at the impenitent subject: the deep furrow between his eyebrows and the one that contours his cheek seem to want to connect and form a kind of scar in shadow.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023
But they were also imbued with a sense of impenitent joy that was paramount to the show.
—Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 June 2023
Jan Dutkiewicz, Vox, 8 Aug. 2024
Among the various allegations put forward are reports of drugging and fascist group chats, slave labour and foot photograph farms, with the brand’s impenitent founder Stephan Marsan at its centre.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
Just look at the impenitent subject: the deep furrow between his eyebrows and the one that contours his cheek seem to want to connect and form a kind of scar in shadow.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023
But they were also imbued with a sense of impenitent joy that was paramount to the show.
—Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenitent
Adjective
-
More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham (Tennant) is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Their little brother Dante is an irresponsible party boy, tangled up with a ruthless local gang.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And then there's Alden Ehrenreich, who plays the part of our infuriating, unrepentant a-hole.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
-
All came adorned and unrepentant in their right to adornment.—
Zoë Hopkins,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Violating that trust is both cruel and unlawful.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impenitent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenitent. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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