Definitions

ruthless

[rooth-lis] / ˈruθ lɪs /

ADJECTIVE

mean, heartless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barbarous brutal callous cold-blooded cruel cutthroat ferocious fierce harsh inhuman malevolent merciless rancorous relentless sadistic savage unforgiving unrelenting unyielding vicious vindictive

WEAK

adamant cold dog-eat-dog feral grim hard hard-hearted implacable inexorable ironfisted killer mortal obdurate pitiless remorseless revengeful severe stern stony surly unappeasable unfeeling unmerciful unsympathetic without pity

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm civilized compassionate easy feeling flexible forgiving friendly gentle humane kind merciful mild nice nonviolent peaceful polite sympathetic tame tender

WEAK

considerate giving

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.

“There is something ruthless and utterly devoid of sanity at the heart of this film industry, and I’ve never felt that darkness as clear as in ‘Mulholland Drive,’” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Rockefeller succeeded through vision, hard work, and ruthless tactics—and in the end, his creation was broken up by regulators.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

Ms. Colin has a coolly devastating manner as the somewhat ruthless Ruth, and Ms. Yi’s Melissa exudes an air of thinly veiled contempt for just about everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

He made a deal with the right, left, and center in Hungary, and he was ruthless, and rigorous, and disciplined in making this commitment.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

“This thief is way more ruthless than we thought.”

From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett

Vocabulary lists containing ruthless

Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites

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