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.

They don’t spitball—they engage in ruthless strategizing worthy of the Pentagon war room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The "Laudato Si" encyclical, which denounced mankind's ruthless exploitation of the environment, was hailed by experts for its scientific grounding.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Guardiola has always been a trendsetter, a ruthless, driven winner determined to make his mark wherever he goes before moving on.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Ms. Vanderkam’s positive perspective is appealing, but there’s a ruthless regimentation in the details.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

It may seem ruthless, but the strategy is simple: When a strong earthquake strikes, a tsunami is likely following close behind.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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