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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
The authors argued that the typical American diet contained excessive calories and fat and lacked sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This development enables high-performance batteries to function without the bulky pressurization hardware that often adds excessive weight and volume to electric vehicle battery packs.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sure, he’s driven by vengeance and ruthless in his pursuit, but — without spoiling anything — his motivation is clouded at best, misplaced at worst.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Michael’s brother Sonny (James Caan) becomes the de facto crime boss as the Corleones prosecute a turf war against their rivals, and Michael eventually emerges as the new, and much more ruthless boss, much to the horror of his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton).—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Typical pulsating aurora displays last 10 to 20 minutes, but Kerss had captured almost three hours of extreme pulsating auroras — an unusually powerful display and one of the longest on record, according to the statement.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Threats are growing from more extreme weather.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The deal comes as New Delhi moves to diversify export markets to offset the impact of steep tariffs imposed by the United States and instability in shipping and energy routes due to the Iran war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Hispanic adults and residents of Western states experienced the steepest increases in rectal cancer deaths, the study found.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Derby fashion became even bigger, more extravagant, and brighter.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Figures move across these planes in extravagant silhouette, heads tilted just so, fingers stiffly splayed and elbows akimbo.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unmerciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmerciful. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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