as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the callous comment "It's just a fish," when the boy's pet died, made him cry
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of callous
Then Sunday night’s series finale brought it all to an abrupt, patchwork, and brutally callous end.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Only the most callous of viewers would fail to sympathize with goalkeeper Matt Turner after seeing an injury compounding the personal tragedy of his partner’s miscarriage.
—Beau Dure, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
His actions suggest a lack of integrity or, worse, a callous disregard for your professional well-being and reputation.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Scrape the green tissue away as well so the area won’t callous.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for callous
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Only the most callous of viewers would fail to sympathize with goalkeeper Matt Turner after seeing an injury compounding the personal tragedy of his partner’s miscarriage.
—Beau Dure, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
His actions suggest a lack of integrity or, worse, a callous disregard for your professional well-being and reputation.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Scrape the green tissue away as well so the area won’t callous.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for callous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callous
Adjective
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Noah Thomas’s life takes a dangerous turn when a chance reunion with an old high school friend, Parker Coleman, entangles him in a ruthless crime ring.—
Jon Stojan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.—
Emily Cox,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
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Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Callous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callous. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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