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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unmerciful
By that time, the internet blew up over Parker and Stone’s unmerciful comedic mockery of Trump.
—
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The result was unmerciful but gloriously funny, especially when Christine Baranski‘s liberal Diane Lockhart hallucinated news reports about Trump keeping a potbellied pig in the White House map room.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 20 May 2025
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
In Nazi ideology, descent was destiny—inescapable, unmerciful, and total.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The result was unmerciful but gloriously funny, especially when Christine Baranski‘s liberal Diane Lockhart hallucinated news reports about Trump keeping a potbellied pig in the White House map room.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 20 May 2025
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
In Nazi ideology, descent was destiny—inescapable, unmerciful, and total.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmerciful
Adjective
-
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon should pass legislation granting the Illinois Department of Insurance the power to reject excessive rate hikes by insurance companies regarding homeowners’ insurance rates.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The National Park Service warns that excessive saltwater intrusion can weaken the trees over time, and in some cases, eventually kill them.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Typewriters, stationery, fine-art museums, the quintessential impressionist painter—these are all associated with taste, beauty, and craft, as well as with intentionality and care, the opposite of the ruthless technological efficiency that repels many from generative AI.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even if the film doesn’t co-sign her ideology, Ursula is the most nuanced of the ruthless killers, and Gellar is adept at digging into the character’s ambiguity and shifting priorities.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
From extreme heat and wildfire smoke to asthma and utility costs, climate change is already impacting our everyday lives.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This model is also the brand’s most durable yet, boasting an extreme IP69 rating for water and dust resistance, paired with a versatile triple 50MP camera system that captures professional-grade detail across wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto shots.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And the bracket carnage was swift and merciless.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
-
But the quagmire is made worse by the question of what audiences want in an age of abundant at-home entertainment options, tighter budgets and general fatigue from the merciless grind of modern life.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If he was convicted, a jury would then have to decide whether Abril was insane when the park shooting occurred.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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And the culture is happily playing along in the name of this insane thirst of Stan culture to have something on the other side.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Except every movie tends to get five buckets, while the rest of their time curdles into Tim sharing too much about his personal life as Gregg stares on, his stony, Buster Keaton-like face saying nothing and everything.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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That same stony resistance stymied Henry’s next attempt at commercial success, a parasol with a snap-on cover that could be changed to match a woman’s outfit.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While consumers worldwide face steep price hikes, Brazilian gasoline prices rose just 5% in March — compared to 30% in the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The beatdown started with a low crawl up King’s steep gravel driveway.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Located above the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in New Orleans Square, 21 Royal Street was used variously over the years as an exhibit and gallery space and since 2017 has been the location of an extravagant private dining experience.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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There is no shortage of extravagant beachfront villas in the Caribbean, but this one distinguishes itself by combining the best of neo-classical design with a touch of whimsy.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unmerciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmerciful. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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