as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the callous comment "It's just a fish," when the boy's pet died, made him cry
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Recent Examples of callous
The similarly futile attempts to portray John Walker as a flawed but good man, despite his callous rage and murderous tendencies?
—
Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
For as much as the creative class is often associated with liberal thinking, the American far-right (and its grassroots, the Christian Right) has, through callous striving and norm-shattering effort, been motivated by a spark of Machiavellian imagination.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
It is now projected to have fewer than 300.
USAID’s defenders argue that the moves to hollow out the agency are both callous and shortsighted.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 18 Feb. 2025
But accusations of this decision being callous don’t resonate with Mason.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callous
Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
For as much as the creative class is often associated with liberal thinking, the American far-right (and its grassroots, the Christian Right) has, through callous striving and norm-shattering effort, been motivated by a spark of Machiavellian imagination.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
It is now projected to have fewer than 300.
USAID’s defenders argue that the moves to hollow out the agency are both callous and shortsighted.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 18 Feb. 2025
But accusations of this decision being callous don’t resonate with Mason.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callous
Adjective
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Wes Anderson is talking about a surreal moment that occurs early in his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, in which the protagonist, the ruthless international tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), experiences a vision of the afterlife.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
-
The exception nearly arrives in the closing minutes during a high-stakes scene that had the potential to transform the whole film into a ruthless satire.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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This time, his assignment takes him to Serbia, as he is tasked with assassinating the merciless General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka).—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
10 May 2025
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That was 12 years ago, and yet the talk about him continues here, the ghosts live on, and with merciless frequency Lerro privately relives the fateful morning in which a vicious storm descended upon him with no warning.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Callous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callous. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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