Definition

Noun: 1. Unwillingness to accept or respect opinions, beliefs, or practices that differ from one's own. It refers to a lack of tolerance, often leading to prejudice or discrimination. 2. Inability to endure or withstand something; a physiological reaction. In medical contexts, it refers to the body's adverse reaction to a substance, such as food or medication.

Usage and Examples

• General (Lack of Acceptance):
  • Religious intolerance has been a cause of conflict throughout history.
  • We must fight against intolerance and promote understanding.
  • His intolerance of other political views made debate impossible.
• Medical/Physiological:
  • Lactose intolerance is common and means the body cannot digest milk sugar properly.
  • She developed an intolerance to gluten.
  • The patient showed signs of drug intolerance.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Zero tolerance": A policy or attitude of punishing all infractions of a rule severely, without exception.
  • The school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying.
• The word often carries a strong negative connotation when referring to social attitudes, implying narrow-mindedness or bigotry.

Variants and Related Words

• Intolerant (Adjective): Not tolerant.
  • He was intolerant of any criticism.
  • She is intolerant of dairy products.
• Tolerance (Noun): The opposite quality; the ability or willingness to tolerate something.
  • We should practice tolerance towards others.

Synonyms

• Bigotry: Stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.
• Prejudice: Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
• Impatience: Lack of tolerance for annoyances or delays.
• Sensitivity (for medical sense): A state of reacting adversely to a substance.

Antonyms

• Tolerance
• Acceptance
• Open-mindedness

Common Collocations and Phrases

• Racial/religious/political intolerance
• Food intolerance (e.g., , )
• Drug intolerance
• Show intolerance towards...
• A sign of intolerance

Noun

1. unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions or beliefs
2. impatience with annoyances
   • his intolerance of interruptions