pitiless

adjective

piti·​less ˈpi-ti-ləs How to pronounce pitiless (audio)
: devoid of pity : harsh, cruel
pitilessly adverb
pitilessness noun

Examples of pitiless in a Sentence

The soldiers were pitiless toward their enemy. gave the beggar in the street a pitiless look and kept on walking
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From Hollywood's Golden Age and the '70s catastrophe obsession to today, these films have unearthed every pitiless corner of nature's wrath, from towering tsunamis and viral pandemics to all-out apocalypses and more. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025 They were born out of a pitiless epidemic, as a poignant yet futile attempt to allow his subjects to live forever on film. Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 June 2025 The title, in Muslim eschatology, refers to a narrow bridge between Paradise and Hell, which is fitting, insofar as Laxe’s movie is both a nightmarish experience and an exhilarating one—a pitiless ordeal that is nonetheless underpinned by extraordinary love and tenderness. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 May 2025 Gilroy drew upon his lifelong study of historical revolutions to inform the show’s interweaving storylines of payroll heists and gulag escapes, street riots and false flag operations, squabbling freedom fighters and pitiless secret police. Adam B. Vary, Variety, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pitiless

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pitiless was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Pitiless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitiless. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

pitiless

adjective
piti·​less ˈpit-i-ləs How to pronounce pitiless (audio)
ˈpit-ᵊl-əs
: having no pity : harsh, cruel
pitilessly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pitiless

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