unrelenting

U1N1R1E1L1E1N1T1I1N1G2

adjective

Not relenting; not yielding in strength, severity, or determination.

Less commonScrabble 12

Meanings

adjectiveunrelenting (comparative more unrelenting, superlative most unrelenting)

comparative more unrelenting · superlative most unrelenting

  1. Not relenting; not yielding in strength, severity, or determination.

    There’s faith in their unrelenting woes, / There’s Life in the Old Land yet!

    1908, James Ryder Randall, “There’s Life in the Old Land Yet”, in Maryland, my Maryland, and other poems, Baltimore, Md.; New York: John Murphy Company, page 23

    Synonyms: unyielding, brutal, hard, harsh, stern, cruel, relentless

  2. Having no pity; not being or becoming lenient, mild, gentle, or merciful.

    Tears may not bring again Sardathrion. But this the gods may do who have seen, and seen with unrelenting eyes, the sorrows of ten thousand worlds—thy gods may weep for thee.

    1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveNot relenting; not yielding in strength, severity, or determination.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivenot to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

adjectivepunishingly harsh

adjectivenever-ceasing

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Germanic*un-
  4. Proto-West Germanic*un-
  5. Old Englishun-
  6. Middle Englishun-
  7. Englishun-
  8. Englishrelenting
  9. Englishunrelenting

From un- + relenting.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian непримирим
  • непримирим (neprimirim)not relenting
Catalan despietat, implacable
  • despietatnot relenting
  • implacablenot relenting
Chinese Mandarin 不松懈的
  • 不松懈的not relenting
Dutch meedogenloos
  • meedogenloosnot relenting
Finnish armoton, heltymätön
  • armotonnot relenting
  • heltymätönnot relenting
  • leppymätönnot relenting
French implacable, impitoyable
  • implacablenot relenting
  • impitoyablenot relenting
German unerbittlich, unnachgiebig
  • unerbittlichnot relenting
  • unnachgiebignot relenting
  • unnachlässignot relenting
  • erbarmungsloshaving no pity
  • gnadenloshaving no pity
Indonesian tidak berampun
  • tidak berampunnot relenting
Italian spietato, implacabile
  • spietatonot relenting
  • implacabilenot relenting
Māori papahueke
  • papahuekenot relenting
Polish bezwzględny, surowy
  • bezwzględnynot relenting
  • surowynot relenting
  • nieugiętynot relenting
  • bezlitosnyhaving no pity
  • nieubłaganyhaving no pity
Portuguese implacável, rigoroso
  • implacávelnot relenting
  • rigorosonot relenting
  • severonot relenting
Spanish no cediente, implacable
  • no cedientenot relenting
  • implacablenot relenting
  • incesantenot relenting
  • imparablenot relenting
  • constantenot relenting
Cite this entry
APA

unrelenting. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unrelenting

MLA

“unrelenting.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unrelenting. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unrelenting,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unrelenting.

Source: unrelenting on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.