pitiless

adjective

piti·​less ˈpi-ti-ləs 

: devoid of pity : harsh, cruel

pitilessly adverb

pitilessness noun

Synonyms of pitiless

• ruthless
• merciless
• stony

Examples of pitiless in a Sentence

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

Known for its screeching headlines, up-to-the-second scoops, and contentious practice of paying off sources for scandalous tips, the tabloid has widened its pitiless lens to include officials across the political spectrum. —Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 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

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

In his experiences and chronicles of the great ideological battles of the twentieth century, Curzio Malaparte was a shape-shifter—pitiless, clinical, cynical, unsentimental, indifferent to morality and idealism. —Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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