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unforgivable

C2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ʌnfəɡˈɪvəbəl/

US

  • /ˌənfɔrˈɡɪvəbəl/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. too wrong or hurtful to be forgiven

Beyond the definition

An act that is unforgivable is so terrible or wrong that it feels impossible to excuse it or forgive the person who did it. It is not just something you do not want to forgive; it feels like a line has been crossed that cannot be undone. Think of betraying deep trust, causing lasting harm, or doing something especially cruel.

The weight of "unforgivable" suggests a breaking point in a relationship or a moral boundary being crossed. While people often talk about forgiving and forgetting, some actions are simply too damaging to move past. A character in a novel might do something unforgivable that changes the whole story, or a historical event might be seen as unforgivable by generations affected by it. It is a strong word used for truly serious wrongs.

Examples

  1. 1

    Personal betrayal

    For her, lying about the money was unforgivable.

  2. 2

    Job interview

    Missing the interview because he overslept was an unforgivable mistake.

  3. 3

    Workplace blame

    Losing the files was bad enough, but blaming an intern was unforgivable.

  4. 4

    Public criticism

    The newspaper called the hospital's slow response unforgivable.

More examples
  1. 5

    Safety warnings

    It would be unforgivable to ignore the safety warnings.

  2. 6

    Family humor

    Around his family, skipping Sunday dinner is almost unforgivable.

    • Usage

      almost unforgivable can be used humorously for smaller things

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Do not confuse

  • unforgiven

Used with (collocations)

  • unforgivable mistake
  • unforgivable sin
  • unforgivable behavior
  • find it unforgivable that

Word family

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Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • unforgivableadjective