unforgiving
adjective
un·for·giv·ing
ˌən-fər-ˈgi-viŋ 
1
: unwilling or unable to forgive
2
: having or making no allowance for error or weakness
an unforgiving environment where false moves can prove fatal—
Jaclyn Fierman
Jaclyn Fierman
unforgivingness
noun
Examples of unforgiving in a Sentence
They are unforgiving of the smallest mistake.
the unforgiving world of politics
Recent Examples on the Web
Bowling at run-hungry batters on largely unforgiving pitches in vast, cacophonous stadiums with huge outfields in front of a partisan and at times baying crowd — plenty of English bowlers have found bowling in Australia akin to a Sisyphean task.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
That discipline matters in a funding climate where capital is both concentrated and unforgiving.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Out in these unforgiving wilds, the five-cabin Ultima Thule Lodge (open May through September) is a beacon of backcountry luxury on the banks of the raging Chitina River.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Customers also struggled with unforgiving cuts unsuited to larger American bodies.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unforgiving
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James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
That discipline matters in a funding climate where capital is both concentrated and unforgiving.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Out in these unforgiving wilds, the five-cabin Ultima Thule Lodge (open May through September) is a beacon of backcountry luxury on the banks of the raging Chitina River.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Customers also struggled with unforgiving cuts unsuited to larger American bodies.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unforgiving
Cite this Entry
“Unforgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforgiving. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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