ruthless

adjective

ruth·​less ˈrüth-ləs 

 also  ˈru̇th-

: having no pity : merciless, cruel

a ruthless tyrant

ruthlessly adverb

ruthlessness noun

Did you know?

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

The journalist was ruthless in his criticism.

an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others' feelings

Recent Examples on the Web

Their life is interrupted by the arrival of a group of pale, ghostly white lions, an outsider tribe of scavengers led by the ruthless Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), looking to occupy and control this land. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024

Storks Are Fascinating Beyond Their Brood Reducing Ways Despite their ruthless parenting, storks are fascinating creatures with other interesting traits. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Taking place in the same universe as hit sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds, which released in 2019, the episode revolves around similar themes of adventure, isolation, and ruthless corporate greed. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Expect jarring swings between popular, pro-growth moves and ruthless government gutting and payback. —Axios, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

ruthless

adjective

ruth·​less ˈrüth-ləs 

: having no pity : merciless, cruel

ruthlessly adverb

ruthlessness noun