ruthless

[ rooth-lis ]

adjective

1. without pity or compassion; cruel; merciless:

   a ruthless tyrant.

   Synonyms: relentless, adamant, unrelenting

ruthless

/ ˈruːθlɪs /

adjective

1. feeling or showing no mercy; hardhearted

Derived Forms

• ˈruthlessness, noun
• ˈruthlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• ruthless·ly adverb
• ruthless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ruthless¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; ruth + -less

Synonym Study

See cruel.

Example Sentences

But the ambitious and ruthless architect, Halvard Solness, grapples with feelings of inadequacy and fear of being overtaken by younger talent.

From BBC

She is creating viral moments, not only with her world-class striking, but with her ruthless personality, illustrated by her lipstick celebration after defeating Santos.

From BBC

As David Dayen at the American Prospect has reported, her tenure as Florida's top prosecutor was notorious for her ruthless treatment of Floridians whose homes had been unlawfully foreclosed upon.

From Salon

They looked pretty ruthless at times, building the scoreboard.

From BBC

A spokesperson for Revolut said it was sorry to hear about any instance where "customers are targeted by ruthless and highly sophisticated criminals".

From BBC

Related Words

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