Intolerant means unwilling to accept or respect ideas, beliefs, or behaviors that differ from your own. An intolerant person might refuse to listen when others express different opinions, or treat people badly simply because they think or act differently.

For example, imagine a student who only wants to play soccer at recess and gets angry when classmates suggest basketball instead. If she refuses to even consider other games and complains whenever the group chooses something different, she's being intolerant of other people's preferences. Or consider someone who thinks everyone should like the same music they do and mocks anyone with different tastes.

Intolerance becomes more serious when it involves rejecting people rather than just disagreeing with ideas. Throughout history, intolerant attitudes have led to discrimination and conflict. Being tolerant doesn't mean you have to agree with everyone about everything, but it does mean respecting others' right to their own thoughts and beliefs. When people practice tolerance, they can disagree strongly while still treating each other with basic respect and dignity.