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.

But it’s also a ruthless competitor, and its record-smashing public listing threatens to crowd out other names in the space ecosystem.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

According to the film’s logline, Kara’s encounter with “an unexpected and ruthless adversary” leads her to “reluctantly join forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Villains in previous Toy Story movies have included a large purple teddy bear called Lotso, troubled next-door neighbour Sid, a ruthless toy collector named Al and creepy vintage doll Gabby Gabby.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 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

Sibling Treachery Closer to home, Cleopatra needed to be on guard for ruthless enemies within her own family.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

Vocabulary lists containing ruthless

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The Things They Carried

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