pitiless

1 of 2

adjective

piti·​less ˈpi-ti-ləs 

: devoid of pity : harsh, cruel

pitilessly adverb

pitilessness noun

pitilessness

2 of 2

noun

piti·​less·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being pitiless

Synonyms of pitiless

Adjective

• ruthless
• merciless
• stony

Examples of pitiless in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

As with the others, the pitiless treatment only ends when they’re slaughtered. — Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 18 May 2026

Biel is a pitiless cokehead who, we’re told, later marries a senator and has four kids. — Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026

The scene offers a pitiless view of the sexism, and materialism, of the culture in which the girls were being raised. — Mark Oppenheimer, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026

Told together, the overlapping stories deal with issues of mental illness, lives of quiet desperation, and the pitiless march of time. — David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pitiless

adjective

piti·​less ˈpit-i-ləs 

ˈpit-ᵊl-əs

: having no pity : harsh, cruel

pitilessly adverb