Did you know?
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
Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Hedda orchestrates a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy and betrayal collide.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
But in 1895, a ruthless public smear campaign hinging on Wilde’s queerness led to the author’s imprisonment, outing, and eventual exile.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Zimmer also received an Emmy nod for her portrayal of ruthless executive Quinn King on Unreal (2015–2018).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share