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If someone can be ruthless, can one also be ruthful?
Ruthless can be defined as "without ruth" or "having no ruth." So what, then, is ruth? The noun ruth, which is now considerably less common than ruthless, means "compassion for the misery of another," "sorrow for one's own faults," or "remorse." And, just as it is possible for one to be without ruth, it is also possible to be full of ruth. The antonym of ruthless is ruthful, meaning "full of ruth" or "tender." Ruthful can also mean "full of sorrow" or "causing sorrow." Ruth can be traced back to the Middle English noun ruthe, itself from ruen, meaning "to rue" or "to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow."
Synonyms
- affectless
- callous
- case-hardened
- cold-blooded
- compassionless
- desensitized
- hard
- hard-boiled
- hard-hearted
- heartless
- indurate
- inhuman
- inhumane
- insensate
- insensitive
- ironhearted
- merciless
- obdurate
- pachydermatous
- pitiless
- remorseless
- slash-and-burn
- soulless
- stony
- stoney
- stonyhearted
- take-no-prisoners
- thick-skinned
- uncharitable
- unfeeling
- unmerciful
- unsparing
- unsympathetic
Examples of ruthless in a Sentence
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
With a seasoned detective (Schram) on the hunt for this ruthless killer, numerous suspects come to light, and each new revelation leads to a shocking twist.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025
The ruthless brutality by Iraq and Iran displayed the lengths to which the region’s governments were willing to go to silence the Kurds.
—Sefa Secen & Serhun Al / Made By History, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
As a young strategist for the Labour Party, he was known for his ruthless tactics, earning the nickname the Prince of Darkness.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruthless. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.
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