Synonyms of callous

callous

adjective

ˈka-ləs 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruthless
• merciless
• stony
• heartless
• hard
• abusive
• insensitive
• cruel
• pitiless
• unfeeling
• hateful
• compassionless
• oppressive
• harsh
• inhumane
• malicious
• brutal
• inhuman
• hard-hearted
• remorseless
• unsympathetic
• uncharitable
• soulless
• vicious
• stern
• insensate
• unmerciful
• grim
• obdurate
• tough
• cold-blooded
• unsparing
• desensitized
• indurate
• thick-skinned
• affectless
• slash-and-burn
• uncaring
• take-no-prisoners
• thoughtless
• hard-boiled
• severe
• pachydermatous
• savage
• inconsiderate
• case-hardened
• unthinking
• boorish
• mean
• rough
• unloving
• spiteful
• ironhearted
• unfriendly
• heedless
• stonyhearted
• ungentle
• malevolent
• disagreeable
• cold
• virulent
• surly
• heavy-handed
• brutish
• barbarous
• bestial
• acrimonious
• rough-and-tumble
• ill-natured
• jackbooted
• rancorous
• ironfisted
• hard-bitten
• evil-minded
• sledgehammer
• ironhanded
• ill-tempered
• austere
• frosty
• knock-down, drag-out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathetic
• warm
• sensitive
• charitable
• compassionate
• merciful
• humane
• gentle
• kindly
• benevolent
• kind
• tender
• mild
• lenient
• indulgent
• kindhearted
• softhearted
• friendly
• gracious
• tenderhearted
• warmhearted
• cordial
• benignant
• tolerant
• loving
• affectionate
• good-natured
• understanding
• fond
• clement
• good-tempered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of callous

Trump and his people operated under the kind of paranoia and callous disregard for military and civilian lives that have characterized the president’s time in office. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026

Although humanity’s salvation may appear to come in fits and starts, God’s healing influence always penetrates and gets through callous self-righteousness and indifference. — Mark Swinney, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026

Trump’s proponents may argue these definitions are ageing, and precedents have been set in recent years that leave the battlefield a wholly more callous place. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

These structures were regionally and culturally inspired, and largely destroyed during rapid and callous colonization. — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026

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