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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of callous
Meanwhile, Odell and his potential heirs, callous Belinda (Téa Leoni) and sleazeball Shepard (scene-stealer Will Poulter), take the discovery of a new species to unethical extremes.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
How callous can Rick really be?
—Ayan Artan, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
While the case against her unfolded as an avaricious media circus that portrayed Casey as a callous Orlando party girl, the actual evidence against her makes a strong argument that, in Casey Anthony’s case, the media got it right.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 4 Mar. 2025
The Gordons have been left deeply screwed up by their deceased father — not just callous and clueless like all the ultra-rich, but unable to maintain healthy relationships with either partners or one another.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callous
Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
How callous can Rick really be?
—Ayan Artan, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
While the case against her unfolded as an avaricious media circus that portrayed Casey as a callous Orlando party girl, the actual evidence against her makes a strong argument that, in Casey Anthony’s case, the media got it right.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 4 Mar. 2025
The Gordons have been left deeply screwed up by their deceased father — not just callous and clueless like all the ultra-rich, but unable to maintain healthy relationships with either partners or one another.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callous
Adjective
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There is the ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and his mysterious assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by Lauren’s late mother, Adele, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55, their family knows that this merciless disease is no laughing matter.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Lottie proposes that Natalie be stripped of her title and that the merciless and vicious Shauna should lead them instead.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Callous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callous. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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