intolerant
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.not willing to accept ideas, religions, or ways of behaving that are different from your own.
adj.unwilling to tolerate contrary opinions, beliefs, or social practices; exhibiting narrow-mindedness or prejudice.
Simple“The local community was unfortunately intolerant of any new ideas regarding the park.”
In context“The regime became increasingly intolerant of dissent, eventually banning all independent media outlets and public demonstrations.”
Usageoften followed by the preposition 'of'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.unable to eat a certain food or medicine without getting sick.
adj.physiologically unable to digest or process a specific substance without adverse effects.
Simple“Since he is lactose intolerant, he has to use almond milk in his coffee.”
In context“Patients who are intolerant to statins may require alternative therapies to manage their cholesterol levels effectively.”
Usageusually follows the noun it describes or appears after 'to'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who refuses to accept other people's beliefs or ways of life.
n.a person who is narrow-minded or bigoted toward those with differing opinions or backgrounds.
Simple“The author argued that we must not let the intolerants control the public debate.”
In context“History often remembers the great reformers, but it also records the fierce opposition they faced from the religious intolerants of their day.”
Synonymsbigotdogmatist
“But did you know that most people in the world today are lactose intolerant – and that the condition itself was invented in the 1960s ?”
First attested in the first half of the 18th century; either borrowed from French intolérant (early 17th century) or from its source, Latin intolerāns. By surface analysis, in- + tolerant (itself only attested from the 1780s).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.