ruthless

adjective

ruth·less ˈrüth-ləs

also ˈru̇th-

Synonyms of ruthless next

: having no pity : merciless, cruel

a ruthless tyrant

ruthlessly adverb

ruthlessness noun

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

The journalist was ruthless in his criticism. an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others' feelings

Recent Examples on the Web But the attack, as well as Israel’s ruthless response in Gaza, is less surprising in historical context: the intifadas of the 1980s and early 2000s, the 1967 war and ultimately the events surrounding Israel’s founding in 1948. —

Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023 After the death of her husband, a ruthless Australian cattle baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown), plots to take her land, so Lady Ashley reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to protect her ranch. —

Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023 This war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s ruthless application of its charter, is existential in that sense for an Israel that suddenly feels smaller and more vulnerable. —

Roger Cohen, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023 The ruthless and power-hungry Nazi officer (Christian Friedel) lived with his ambitious wife (Sandra Hüller, chilling) and their children in a lovely home with a garden that abutted the notorious prison, separated only by a wall. —

Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 19 Nov. 2023 Cybersecurity Industry Baffled by FBI’s Lack of Action on Ransomware Gang The ransomware group known as Scattered Spider has distinguished itself this year as one of the most ruthless in the digital extortion industry, most recently inflicting roughly $100 million in damage to MGM Casinos. —

WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023 The ruthless mother and son became one of the richest and most influential players in the English court. —

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023 All of that money meant this innocent-seeming industry had developed a surprisingly ruthless dark side. —

Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 The artifacts were discovered while crews removed tar-like material from the Congaree River and bring new tangible evidence of Union Gen. William T. Sherman's ruthless Southern campaign toward the end of the Civil War. —

CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023 See More

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