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

His Lamb goes from a brash Yorkshire showman to a callous profiteer of human vice and misery, his cheeky smile becoming a vicious snarl. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Then with Lee, in the timeline closest to our present day, her heartbreaking, hard-to-stomach testimony means nothing to a callous judge who sentences her to death three times over. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

The doc is similarly unflinching in showing the horrific scene from 1900 in which Donald Sutherland’s sadistic fascist murders a young boy in a shockingly callous way, while Laura Betti as his equal in cruelty dissolves into blood-curdling cackles. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

This is a callous continuation of the ongoing campaign by the same individuals and groups targeting Jewish people and the state of Israel, a pattern of antisemitism and misinformation that puts our community in grave danger. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

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