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If someone can be ruthless, can one also be ruthful?
Ruthless can be defined as "without ruth" or "having no ruth." So what, then, is ruth? The noun ruth, which is now considerably less common than ruthless, means "compassion for the misery of another," "sorrow for one's own faults," or "remorse." And, just as it is possible for one to be without ruth, it is also possible to be full of ruth. The antonym of ruthless is ruthful, meaning "full of ruth" or "tender." Ruthful can also mean "full of sorrow" or "causing sorrow." Ruth can be traced back to the Middle English noun ruthe, itself from ruen, meaning "to rue" or "to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow."
Examples of ruthless in a Sentence
Literary Hub, 29 July 2025
The role of Chris Partlow, Marlo Stanfield's top lieutenant and ruthless hitman, was the first screen credit for Gbenga Akinnagbe.
—Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 29 July 2025
In the film, a pair of mismatched armored truck drivers (Murphy and Davidson) find their routine cash pickup escalating into chaotic mayhem when they’re ambushed by ruthless criminals led by the savvy mastermind (Palmer).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2025
Much of the novel is devoted to the ruthless scheming of Renée’s husband, Saccard, a property speculator intent on profiting from the vast geographical changes afoot in Haussman’s Paris.
—Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruthless. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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