Definition of callous
1a : being hardened and thickenedb : having calluses callous hands
2a : feeling no emotionb : feeling or showing no sympathy for others : hard-hearted a callous indifference to suffering
callously
adverbcallousness
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
callous was our Word of the Day on 03/30/2014. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of callous in a Sentence
… 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 Morning, 1954
a selfish and callous young man
a callous refusal to help the poor
Recent Examples of callous from the Web
-
The discovery is shocking to parents, especially when accompanied by the kind of callous life projections made too often by doctors lacking any manner of bedside compassion.
-
Hunt has shown himself to be occasionally callous and always business-first.
-
The jury appears to have rejected the government’s characterization of Mr. Cadden as callous and greedy.
-
The business of figuring out the how and why of the disaster is already underway, and a few probable culprits have been identified, chief among them the callous neglect of officials both local and national.
-
The interview feels like a cynical, callous ratings grab.
-
Clad in clown makeup, matching smocks and hairnets festooned with frilly gills, these aquatic creatures appear totally alien at first, but eventually reveal multiple humanlike traits: callous manipulation, rampant tribalism … and perhaps, love?
-
Instead, Trump’s decision will be seen as an ugly betrayal — self-centered, callous, hollow, cruel.
-
And his eagerness to take the country into war can only be interpreted as a callous disregard for its steep price in both money and human life.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'callous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 derive 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."
Origin and Etymology of callous
Middle English, from Latin callosus, from callum, callus callous skin
Definition of callous
transitive verb
: to make callous hands calloused by hard manual labor
Recent Examples of callous from the Web
-
Price's emotional hide is not calloused as, oh, Curt Schilling.
-
Meanwhile, the Bruins (16-8, 7-7) are coming off an 80-71 victory over Denver South in the second round and have been calloused by a difficult Centennial League schedule.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'callous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of callous
see 1callous
Other Biology Terms
CALLOUS Defined for English Language Learners
callous
playDefinition of callous for English Language Learners
-
: not feeling or showing any concern about the problems or suffering of other people
CALLOUS Defined for Kids
callous
playDefinition of callous for Students
: feeling or showing no sympathy for others a callous refusal to help
Medical Dictionary
callous
playMedical Definition of callous
1: being hardened and thickened
2: having calluses
Learn More about callous
-
See words that rhyme with callous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for callous Spanish Central: Translation of callous Nglish: Translation of callous for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about callous
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up callous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!