Forgiving — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /fər-ˈgi-viŋ/ for·giv·ing

Meaning & Definition of Forgiving

Forgiving (adjective)

  1. willing or able to forgive
  2. allowing room for error or weakness

Forgiving (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in compassionate, caring

    similar: caring, compassionate, considerate, cordial, doting, friendly, humane, kind, understanding, warmhearted, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, loving, tender, tenderhearted, ardent, fervent, impassioned, passionate, warm, amatory, amorous, erotic, enamored, infatuated, lovesick, lovey-dovey, mushy, romantic, sappy, sentimental, brotherly, fatherly, motherly, sisterly
    opposite: unloving, aloof, antisocial, cold-eyed, cool, detached, distant, dry, frosty, hard-hearted, indifferent, offish, pitiless, remote, reserved, standoffish, unbending, uncaring, unfeeling, disaffected, unconcerned, uninvolved, cold, frigid, unfriendly, callous, cold-blooded, hard-boiled, heartless, ruthless, soulless, unromantic, unsentimental

  2. as in charitable

    similar: charitable, aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, erratic, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, directionless, objectless, purposeless, indiscriminating, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating, unfussy, unselective, indiscriminate, unsystematic
    opposite: discerning, discriminating, judicious, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicky, fussy, nitpicky, particular, picky, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental, overcritical, rejective

Forgiving (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward

    "it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us"

    similar: pardoning
    related: absolving, acquitting, clearing, exculpating, exonerating, vindicating, remitting, shriving, condoning, disregarding, excusing, ignoring, passing over, shrugging off, discharging, liberating, redeeming, releasing, unburdening
    opposite: resenting
    near: abhorring, abominating, despising, detesting, disliking, execrating, hating, loathing, avenging, redressing, requiting, retaliating, revenging, disciplining, penalizing, punishing

  2. to dismiss as of little importance

    "he has so many good qualities that I guess we can forgive a slight penchant for exaggeration"

    similar: blinking (at), brushing (aside or off), condoning, discounting, disregarding, excusing, glossing (over), glozing (over), ignoring, overlooking, overpassing, papering over, pardoning, passing over, remitting, shrugging off, whitewashing, winking (at), closing one's eyes to, forgiving and forgetting
    related: explaining, justifying, rationalizing, absolving, acquitting, clearing, exculpating, exonerating, vindicating, waiving, waving (aside or off)
    near: heeding, marking, minding, noting, objecting (to)

Related Entry: Forgive (verb)

Forgive is a different word from Forgiving. The synonyms below are for forgive, not for forgiving.

  1. to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward

    "it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us"

    similar: pardon
    related: absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate, remit, shrive, condone, disregard, excuse, ignore, pass over, shrug off, discharge, liberate, redeem, release, unburden
    opposite: resent
    near: abhor, abominate, despise, detest, dislike, execrate, hate, loathe, avenge, redress, requite, retaliate, revenge, discipline, penalize, punish

  2. to dismiss as of little importance

    "he has so many good qualities that I guess we can forgive a slight penchant for exaggeration"

    similar: blink (at), brush (aside or off), condone, discount, disregard, excuse, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at), close one's eyes to, forgive and forget
    related: explain, justify, rationalize, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate, waive, wave (aside or off)
    near: heed, mark, mind, note, object (to)

Related Entry: Forgiving and forgetting (phrase)

Forgiving and forgetting is a different word from Forgiving. The synonyms below are for forgiving and forgetting, not for forgiving.

  1. to dismiss as of little importance

    "They decided that the argument was over and it was time to forgive and forget."

    similar: blinking (at), brushing (aside or off), condoning, discounting, disregarding, excusing, forgiving, glossing (over), glozing (over), ignoring, overlooking, overpassing, papering over, pardoning, passing over, remitting, shrugging off, whitewashing, winking (at), closing one's eyes to
    related: explaining, justifying, rationalizing, absolving, acquitting, clearing, exculpating, exonerating, vindicating, waiving, waving (aside or off)
    near: heeding, marking, minding, noting, objecting (to)

Related Entry: Forgive and forget (phrase)

Forgive and forget is a different word from Forgiving. The synonyms below are for forgive and forget, not for forgiving.

  1. to dismiss as of little importance

    "They decided that the argument was over and it was time to forgive and forget."

    similar: blink (at), brush (aside or off), condone, discount, disregard, excuse, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at), close one's eyes to
    related: explain, justify, rationalize, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate, waive, wave (aside or off)
    near: heed, mark, mind, note, object (to)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Forgiving

The most common words with a similar meaning to Forgiving:

caring, compassionate, considerate, cordial, doting, friendly, humane, kind, understanding, warmhearted, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, loving, tender, tenderhearted, ardent, fervent, impassioned, passionate, warm, amatory, amorous, erotic, enamored, infatuated, lovesick, lovey-dovey, mushy, romantic, sappy, sentimental, brotherly, fatherly, motherly, sisterly, charitable, aimless, arbitrary

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Forgiving

Words with the opposite meaning of Forgiving:

unloving, aloof, antisocial, cold-eyed, cool, detached, distant, dry, frosty, hard-hearted, indifferent, offish, pitiless, remote, reserved, standoffish, unbending, uncaring, unfeeling, disaffected, unconcerned, uninvolved, cold, frigid, unfriendly, callous, cold-blooded, hard-boiled, heartless, ruthless

Related Words for Forgiving

absolving, acquitting, clearing, exculpating, exonerating, vindicating, shriving, discharging, liberating, redeeming, releasing, unburdening, explaining, justifying, rationalizing, waiving, waving (aside or off)

Near Antonyms of Forgiving

abhorring, abominating, despising, detesting, disliking, execrating, hating, loathing, avenging, redressing, requiting, retaliating, revenging, disciplining, penalizing, punishing, heeding, marking, minding, noting, objecting (to)

Word Forms of Forgiving

Derived words: forgivingly (adverb), forgivingness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Forgiving

First known use: 1623

Frequently Asked Questions about Forgiving

What does "Forgiving" mean?

"Forgiving" means willing or able to forgive. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: willing or able to forgive. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Forgiving"?

Other words for "Forgiving" include caring, compassionate, considerate, cordial, doting, friendly, humane and kind. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Forgiving" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Forgiving"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Forgiving". Common alternatives include caring, compassionate, considerate, cordial, doting, friendly, humane, kind, understanding and warmhearted.

What is the opposite of "Forgiving"?

Antonyms of "Forgiving" include unloving, aloof, antisocial, cold-eyed, cool, detached, distant and dry. Near antonyms include abhorring, abominating, despising and detesting.

How do you use "Forgiving" in a sentence?

Examples of "Forgiving" in a sentence: "it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us"; "he has so many good qualities that I guess we can forgive a slight penchant for exaggeration".

Is "Forgiving" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Forgiving" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Forgiving"?

"Forgiving" is pronounced /fər-ˈgi-viŋ/ and divided into syllables as for·giv·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Forgiving"?

First known use: 1623.