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Unforgiving vs Forgiving - What's the difference?

unforgiving | forgiving |

As adjectives the difference between unforgiving and forgiving

is that unforgiving is unwilling or unable to forgive or show mercy while forgiving is inclined to forgive.

As a verb forgiving is

.

As a noun forgiving is

an act of forgiveness.

unforgiving

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Unwilling or unable to forgive or show mercy.
    • The electorate was in an unforgiving mood.
  • Having no allowance for weakness.
    • The unforgiving Arctic climate makes short work of the unprepared.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2014
    • , date=November 14 , author=Stephen Halliday , title=Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero , work=The Scotsman citation , page= , passage=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.}}

    Derived terms

    * unforgivingly * unforgivingness

    forgiving

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Inclined to forgive.
    • I am not very forgiving .

    Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of forgiveness.
  • * 1996 , Bernard P. Dauenhauer, Citizenship in a Fragile World (page 58)
    • And I receive your forgiveness only from you. A group's promises and forgivings are nothing more than the sum of its individual members' promises and forgivings.