ruthless

adjective

ruth·​less ˈrüth-ləs How to pronounce ruthless (audio)
 also  ˈru̇th-
: 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 Venture Capital Also Got The Memo An unlikely follower of the value-creation philosophy is a sector previously known or its ruthless slash-and-burn tactics: venture capital. Steve Denning, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 Brolin stars as the ruthless producer of the game show, while O’Brian will play one of the contestants on the show. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024 Certain details in the fictional drama are likely to cause controversy such as the fact that a ruthless assassin on Chartier’s tail has a tattoo associated with the Belgium’s Para-Commando Brigade, which was disbanded in 2003. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2024 And Durand brings Shakespearean grandeur to his role of Proximus Caesar, a ruthless ape monarch in search of ancient human technology. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ruthless 

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.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ruthless was in the 14th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near ruthless

Cite this Entry

“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruthless. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ruthless

adjective
ruth·​less ˈrüth-ləs How to pronounce ruthless (audio)
: having no pity : merciless, cruel
ruthlessly adverb
ruthlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ruthless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!