1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a heartless boss who would fire people for missing work, even if they were sick as a dog
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
his heartless whipping of runaway slaves virtually to the point of death shocked even other slave owners
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartless
Cops are still hunting for the heartless moped rider.
—
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 9 July 2025
An 18-year-old woman was fighting for her life after being thrown off the back of a moped during a Bronx crash early Saturday — a crash her heartless moped driver raced away from, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
Cardellini is the essence of warmth and smarts, and Campbell Scott offers a commanding cameo as a snooty but not heartless food critic.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 9 July 2025
An 18-year-old woman was fighting for her life after being thrown off the back of a moped during a Bronx crash early Saturday — a crash her heartless moped driver raced away from, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
Cardellini is the essence of warmth and smarts, and Campbell Scott offers a commanding cameo as a snooty but not heartless food critic.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
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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
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Early in his career, Trump apprenticed himself to Roy Cohn, an unprincipled lawyer who taught the young Donald how to gain wealth and influence through ruthless bullying, profane braggadocio, opportunistic bigotry, baseless lawsuits, lying, and more lying.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As Wallace and Gromit investigate this mysterious thief, their paths cross with the cruel, trigger-happy Lord Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes), who has his own ambitions for the competition and Wallace’s love interest, Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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The series centers on a group of kids with latent or emerging special abilities who are subjected to cruel experiments at the mysterious institute of the title, along with a local cop (Ben Barnes) whose story intersects with that of the kids.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Hollywood loves a polarizing star with a merciless marketing punch that sells.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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There’s little doubt Curtis Windom perpetrated an unjustifiable evil, killing three people, including his girlfriend and her mother, shooting them in merciless fashion on Feb. 7, 1992 in Winter Garden.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After being relegated to the bench as his season spirals out of control, shortstop Anthony Volpe returned to the lineup against the Washington Nationals, only for his issues at the plate to reach a brutal new low.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
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Friends can lie, colleagues can backstab, anyone can die in any number of brutal ways.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That the show is a food-star factory is not exactly in the spirit of the bake-offs that inspired it, which were vicious routs among just-above-average home bakers, for almost no measurable reward.—
Ruby Tandoh,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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The unique stipulation is the direct result of King's recent, vicious actions against his rival, Myles Borne.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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