1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
she went into an unmerciful level of detail about her latest health problems
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the critics were unmerciful in their assessments of the young actress's performance
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Recent Examples of unmerciful
The drought is a source of mockery towards RCB, with opposition fans unmerciful in their scorn towards them and particularly Kohli.
—
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Yet viewers admire Oz’s aptitude to survive, his unmerciful resolve.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2024
His take on Prince Philip is both humanizing and unmerciful, cutting to the bone of a man portrayed in contradictory terms — petulant yet statesmanlike, intensely ambitious yet ineffectual, relatable one minute and contemptible the next.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2024
The temperature climbed as more gas pushed and compressed itself into the small space, and the heat became unmerciful, exacerbated by the syrupy sensation of the increasingly dense atmosphere.
—Rachel Lance, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024
In Nazi ideology, descent was destiny—inescapable, unmerciful, and total.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023
What hit viewers, then and now, with the strength of an unmerciful iceberg is how entirely uncynical this movie is.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2022
How have Willis and Kastor excelled for 20 years and more in that unmerciful context?
—Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 18 Feb. 2021
Trying to end an unmerciful beating, Astudillo haplessly threw three pitches to Mercedes that were all called balls (and that averaged about 45 mph).
—Scott Jennings, CNN, 20 May 2021
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Yet viewers admire Oz’s aptitude to survive, his unmerciful resolve.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2024
His take on Prince Philip is both humanizing and unmerciful, cutting to the bone of a man portrayed in contradictory terms — petulant yet statesmanlike, intensely ambitious yet ineffectual, relatable one minute and contemptible the next.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2024
The temperature climbed as more gas pushed and compressed itself into the small space, and the heat became unmerciful, exacerbated by the syrupy sensation of the increasingly dense atmosphere.
—Rachel Lance, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024
In Nazi ideology, descent was destiny—inescapable, unmerciful, and total.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023
What hit viewers, then and now, with the strength of an unmerciful iceberg is how entirely uncynical this movie is.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2022
How have Willis and Kastor excelled for 20 years and more in that unmerciful context?
—Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 18 Feb. 2021
Trying to end an unmerciful beating, Astudillo haplessly threw three pitches to Mercedes that were all called balls (and that averaged about 45 mph).
—Scott Jennings, CNN, 20 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmerciful
Adjective
-
These thunderstorms are producing an excessive amount of deadly cloud to ground lightning.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 May 2025
-
Among its findings were that Banks used excessive force and falsely imprisoned Myles; that Banks’ use of his dog violated Myles’ Fourth Amendment rights; that Banks and the county were both negligent; and that the county violated Myles’ civil rights by failing to properly train and supervise Banks.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Wes Anderson is talking about a surreal moment that occurs early in his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, in which the protagonist, the ruthless international tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), experiences a vision of the afterlife.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
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The exception nearly arrives in the closing minutes during a high-stakes scene that had the potential to transform the whole film into a ruthless satire.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Thriving after having faced extreme adversity is core to Marine Electric Systems culture, and to the US Navy itself.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
-
For all the extreme legal steps the Administration has already deployed, suspending habeas corpus would be an act far more radical than any that has come before.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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This time, his assignment takes him to Serbia, as he is tasked with assassinating the merciless General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka).—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
10 May 2025
-
That was 12 years ago, and yet the talk about him continues here, the ghosts live on, and with merciless frequency Lerro privately relives the fateful morning in which a vicious storm descended upon him with no warning.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The most significant example has been Apple’s efforts to shore up iPhone production in India in a bid to avoid the steep U.S. tariffs placed on China that are now paused.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
-
Idaho residents’ property taxes have seen steep increases amid the area’s rapid population growth in recent years, especially in the Treasure Valley, the Statesman previously reported.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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On Tuesday, May 13, Trump's visit included a coffee ceremony, participation in a Saudi-U.S investment forum, a visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an extravagant state dinner.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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The family has plowed some of their wealth into an extravagant fleet of roughly a dozen Airbus and Boeing airliners converted into luxurious rides for a small number of passengers, as well as smaller business jets from Bombardier and Dassault.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Imagine a book with an infinite number of pages, each of which consists of infinitely many columns of dots.—
Erica Klarreich,
Quanta Magazine,
5 May 2025
-
This celestial synergy is an invitation to dream big, act on your heart’s desires and embrace the infinite possibilities.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unmerciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmerciful. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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