NYT Dictionary

IMPENITENT

/ɪmˈpɛnət(ə)nt/
AdjectiveNounIM-pen-it-entim-pen-it-ent · 4 syllablesGrade 10

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025

Meaning

Not penitent; specifically (Christianity), not repenting of one's sins; unrepentant.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English impenitent (“not penitent, unrepentant”), from Latin impaenitentem, the accusative feminine or masculine singular of impaenitēns (“unrepentant”), from im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + paenitēns (“contrite, penitent, regretting, repenting”) (the present active participle of paeniteō (“to be sorry, regret; to cause to repent; to repent”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate; to hurt”)). By surface analysis, im- + penitent. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

obdurateunrepentantunremorsefulcalloushardhardenedinsolentremorselessunsofteneduntouched

Antonyms

penitentrepentant

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles:

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