relentless

adjective

ri-ˈlent-ləs How to pronounce relentless (audio)
Definition of relentlessnext
as in grim
showing no signs of slackening or yielding in one's purpose the team's offense was relentless in trying to score a touchdown

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of relentless Not a script, not a film, just a relentless, recurring obsession that has endured through all these wild years. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 13 July 2026 The Springboks led 14-0 and 35-14 but had to withstand relentless attacks by a Scotland side which has taken down England, France and Argentina this year. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 Senior technology leaders face a relentless need to launch faster and outpace the competition, all while relying on legacy technology. — Naveen Jayaram, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 The Evil Dead endured a famously grueling shoot that lasted over a year due to a tiny budget, difficult living conditions, and ambitious (and relentless) practical effects. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for relentless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relentless
  1. grim
  2. determined
  3. persistent
  4. unrelenting
  5. ruthless
Adjective
  • The tropes of the crime novel wear thin, with its grim foreshadowing and prodigious exposition.
    — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • But extrapolating from limited empirical studies paints a grim picture.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 July 2026
Definition of grim
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Machado remains determined to restart the push for free elections.
    — John Otis, NPR, 16 July 2026
  • On the few occasions Mbappe was able to get into the box, the Real Madrid striker was swarmed by multiple defenders as Spain was determined to make anybody else defeat them.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of determined
Adjective
  • Kyle Clark, an anchorman on Denver’s 9News, asked the candidate in a persistent and revealing sit-down interview.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • The yen has lost 51% of its value against the dollar since 2012, as the central bank kept monetary policy loose to fight persistent deflation.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of persistent
Adjective
  • From dealing with symptom flare-ups and unrelenting fatigue to following strict medication schedules, managing a health condition that no one in your circle relates to can be incredibly isolating.
    — Katie Camero, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
  • Illnesses from the parasite are assumed to be an undercount since many people who get cyclosporiasis, which causes unrelenting diarrhea, cramping and bloating, may be embarrassed to see a doctor or may try to wait out their symptoms at home.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Definition of unrelenting
Adjective
  • Neill was magnetic as the ruthless CI Major Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders—an antagonist and romantic rival of Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
  • Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, who has a tournament-high five assists, were also kept quiet by the ruthless Spaniards.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 15 July 2026
Definition of ruthless

Browse Nearby Words

relenting
relentless
relentlessness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relentless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relentless. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on relentless

Nglish: Translation of relentless for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All