intolerant
adjective
in·tol·er·ant
(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rənt 
-ˈtä--rənt
1
: unable or unwilling to endure
2
a
: unwilling to grant equal freedom of expression especially in religious matters
b
: unwilling to grant or share social, political, or professional rights : bigoted
3
: exhibiting physiological intolerance
lactose intolerant
intolerantly
adverb
intolerantness
noun
Examples of intolerant in a Sentence
intolerant of fools, she is not an easy person to work for
intolerant people who callously deny others the very rights that they take for granted
Recent Examples on the Web
And as the film builds toward the inevitable heartbreak and clash with intolerant family members, the emotion needed to carry such heavy subject matter simply isn’t there.
—
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2025
Some individuals—many more than have allergies to milk—are intolerant to it, meaning their bodies struggle to digest dairy products, usually due to milk sugar called lactose.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
They were politicized, rigid in their views, and intolerant of other opinions.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Hellenistic culture was imperfectly tolerant; the Christian one perfectly intolerant.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intolerant
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Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2025
Some individuals—many more than have allergies to milk—are intolerant to it, meaning their bodies struggle to digest dairy products, usually due to milk sugar called lactose.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
They were politicized, rigid in their views, and intolerant of other opinions.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Hellenistic culture was imperfectly tolerant; the Christian one perfectly intolerant.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intolerant
Cite this Entry
“Intolerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intolerant. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intolerant
adjective
in·tol·er·ant
(ˈ)in-ˈtäl-(ə-)rənt
1
: unable or unwilling to endure
2
: unwilling to grant equality, freedom, or other social rights
intolerantly
adverb
Medical Definition
intolerant
adjective
in·tol·er·ant
(ˈ)in-ˈtäl(-ə)-rənt
: exhibiting physiological intolerance : unable to properly metabolize or absorb a substance
People who are lactose intolerant cannot digest lactose because their small intestines do not produce enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose down …—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue
Jeffrey Steingarten, VogueLove words? Need even more definitions?
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