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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
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Tracey recalls how her ruthless daughter sought revenge on her father, classmates and Laura.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
In the epic Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a reputation for being utterly ruthless.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
Blyth provides a fitting foil to Jonsson’s softness with his endless spring of ruthless aggression, forcing Taylor’s primal survival instincts to butt against his more civilized sense that there has to be something more for him in this world.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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