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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
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Tanner has quite the reputation as a ruthless crimelord, and is known for removing body parts of people who wrong him.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Add Evening Ambience The dinner scene in The Olde English District is flavorful enough to satisfy the most ruthless critics.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Sweeney stars as Penny Jo, a South Dakota diner waitress with an appealing smile, an ingratiating stammer, a scarf in her hair, and deep reserves of ruthless ambition.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2025.
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