Definitions

pitiless

[pit-i-lis, pit-ee-] / ˈpɪt ɪ lɪs, ˈpɪt i- /

ADJECTIVE

without mercy or care

Synonyms

WEAK

austere barbarous brutal callous cold coldblooded coldhearted cruel cutthroat dog-eat-dog frigid hardhearted harsh hatchetjob heartless implacable indifferent inexorable inhuman inhumane insensible killer instinct mean merciless obdurate relentless remorseless ruthless satanic savage soulless stony

Antonyms

WEAK

charitable kind merciful sympathetic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Before Standard Oil became “the most gigantic, the most cruel, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopoly which ever fastened upon a community,” it was a start-up.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

“Amongst Women” revolves around Michael Moran, a widowed farmer who rules his family with pitiless vigor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

She can peg a person’s height at a glance and sum up their prospects in a pitiless snap judgment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025

As Ambrose Pierce wrote, “Patriotism is as fierce as a fever, pitiless and the grave, blind as a stone and irrational as a headless man.”

From Salon • May 17, 2025

I’m sorry, he said to the pitiless dark.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Vocabulary lists containing pitiless

Negative Words to Describe a Person

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Commonly Confused Words, List 2

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"The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats

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