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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."
Examples of ruthless in a Sentence
Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
However, his plans to go straight are threatened when his final heist spirals out of control, pulling him into a deadly game of survival against ruthless criminals—including the unhinged Bats (Jamie Foxx) and the wild coupling of Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza González).
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The film, inspired by the true story of a ruthless Hawaiian crime boss, promises to be a gripping portrayal of organized crime in the island paradise.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Novels about women’s communities tend toward utopian coexistence or ruthless backbiting.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruthless. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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