unmitigated
absolute; not softened, lessened, or moderated
Roots
- mitis / mitig: mild, soft, or less severe
- un-: not, opposite, or removal
Other words with the mitis / mitig root
- mitigate: to make less severe, harsh, or painful
- mitigation: act of making something less severe
Mitigated means softened. Unmitigated removes the softening: the full force remains.
Calling the launch an unmitigated success ignored the strained team behind it.
Unmitigated can be praise or criticism because it means nothing has reduced the force.
An unmitigated disaster has no soft edge. An unmitigated success is success without qualification. The root image is softening; the prefix takes that softening away.