unforgiving en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English forgiving English unforgiving From un- + forgiving.
Meanings
-
Unwilling or unable to forgive or show mercy.
The electorate was in an unforgiving mood.
-
(figuratively) Having no allowance for error or weakness.
The unforgiving Arctic climate makes short work of the unprepared.
The line may be very scenic, but it runs through areas exposed to some extreme and unforgiving weather that does its worst on station buildings and the infrastructure!
2022 December 28, Don Jary, “Partnerships enhancing the S&C”, in RAIL, number 973, page 34:The terrain in Ukraine’s south is unforgiving for attackers, with wide open fields and little high ground, and Ukrainian troops are meeting staunch resistance from Russian forces.
2023 June 21, Cassandra Vinograd, “Battling Russia, Ukrainian Leaders Also Fight High Expectations”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:In a raucous atmosphere, it was an unforgiving and physical contest from the start. Grant Hanley conceded the first free-kick within the opening 20 seconds, setting the tone for a busy and thankless evening for Serbian referee Milorad Mazic.
2014 November 14, Stephen Halliday, “Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero”, in The Scotsman:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most unforgiving | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more unforgiving | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
unforgivingly · unforgivingness
Translations (16)
nl meedogenloos (not forgiving) · fi kaunainen (not forgiving) · eo senpardona (not forgiving) · fi pitkävihainen (not forgiving) · de gnadenlos (not forgiving) · bg непрощаващ (not forgiving) · pl pamiętliwy (not forgiving) · fr implacable (not forgiving) · fr impitoyable (not forgiving) · ca inclement (not forgiving) · bn ক্ষমাহীন (not forgiving) · fi anteeksiantamaton (not forgiving) · mi whakakaitoa (not forgiving) · nl onverzoenlijk (not forgiving) · nl onverbiddelijk (not forgiving) · pl bezpardonowy (not forgiving)