callous

1 of 2

adjective

cal·​lous ˈka-ləs How to pronounce callous (audio)
1
a
: being hardened and thickened
b
: having calluses
callous hands
2
a
: feeling no emotion
b
: feeling or showing no sympathy for others : hard-hearted
a callous indifference to suffering
callously adverb
callousness noun

callous

2 of 2

verb

cal·​lous ˈka-ləs How to pronounce callous (audio)
calloused; callousing; callouses

transitive verb

: to make callous
hands calloused by hard manual labor

Did you know?

A callus is a hard, thickened area of skin that develops usually from friction or irritation over time. Such a hardened area often leaves one less sensitive to the touch, so it's no surprise that the adjective callous, in addition to describing skin that is hard and thick, can also be used as a synonym for harsh or insensitive. Both callus and callous come via Middle English from Latin. The figurative sense of callous entered English almost 300 years after the literal sense, and Robert Louis Stevenson used it aptly when he wrote in Treasure Island "But, indeed, from what I saw, all these buccaneers were as callous as the sea they sailed on."

Examples of callous in a Sentence

Adjective … under Orton's own companionable charm there was something hard and callous, the result no doubt of a loveless upbringing … Benedict Nightingale, New York Times Book Review, 10 May 1987
… the scenes involving the snotty, callous dean ring false right from the start … Pauline Kael, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 1985
Patient, cold and callous, our hands wrapped in socks, we waited to snowball the cats. Dylan Thomas, "A Child's Christmas in Wales," in Quite Early One Morning1954
a selfish and callous young man a callous refusal to help the poor
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In October 2002, the Kremlin’s response was marked by callous yet effective discipline. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 The act, at once callous and caring, will stay with me. Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for callous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'callous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English, from Latin callosus, from callum, callus callous skin

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of callous was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near callous

Cite this Entry

“Callous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/callous. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

callous

adjective
cal·​lous
ˈkal-əs
1
a
: being hardened and thickened
b
: having calluses
callous hands
2
: feeling or showing no sympathy for others : unfeeling
a callous refusal to help the poor
callously adverb
callousness noun

Medical Definition

callous

adjective
cal·​lous ˈkal-əs How to pronounce callous (audio)
1
: being hardened and thickened
2
: having calluses

More from Merriam-Webster on callous

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