as in heartlessness
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Recent Examples of callousness
That means uprooting institutionalized callousness and redefining what counts as efficiency, innovation and value.
—
Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
The ego, the hardness, the … callousness of anything that might be on the heart or the mind had literally just melted away.
—Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
And yet, there is this streak — more than a streak — of brutality and of callousness and of cruelty.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Their callousness about Julian has become tiresome.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
While these remain allegations until proven in court, the evidence reflects an extraordinary level of callousness and violence.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2025
Bianco’s callousness is appalling.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Soft, quiet songs emerged as antidotes to cruelty and callousness.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Tom Mari, the local union’s president, said in a statement that the company’s habit of blaming its workers for its refusal to meet them in the middle is a good representation of their callousness toward their customers.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
The ego, the hardness, the … callousness of anything that might be on the heart or the mind had literally just melted away.
—Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
And yet, there is this streak — more than a streak — of brutality and of callousness and of cruelty.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Their callousness about Julian has become tiresome.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
While these remain allegations until proven in court, the evidence reflects an extraordinary level of callousness and violence.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2025
Bianco’s callousness is appalling.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Soft, quiet songs emerged as antidotes to cruelty and callousness.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Tom Mari, the local union’s president, said in a statement that the company’s habit of blaming its workers for its refusal to meet them in the middle is a good representation of their callousness toward their customers.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callousness
Noun
-
The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.—
Ginny Tapley Takemori
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Large roof windows maximize natural light, and the interior decor makes use of coated plywood and glass to offset the coldness of the concrete.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Dec. 2025
-
However, colors can also pull out negative emotions in people, such as defiance (red), coldness (blue), fear (yellow), and boredom (green).—
Daniel Fusch,
Ascend Agency,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Does their lack of kindness grant you permission to respond with equal insensitivity or even cruelty?—
Michael Isaacson,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Your son’s insensitivity to your feelings is appalling.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
China has gained, not suffered, from this obduracy.—
JONATHAN A. CZIN,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Nov. 2025
-
Related: ‘Neglected diseases’ are anything but neglected by the billion-plus people living with them One possible reason for this obduracy is that noma begins as a dental disease, and dental diseases have long been underappreciated global health concerns.—
John Button,
STAT,
16 Dec. 2023
Noun
-
This footwear has been in style since last year and can easily make a nice contrasting outfit with having a dark leather uppers, feature rounded or squared toes that bring a contrasting hardness to mom jeans’ light washes and high-waist fit.—
Aaron Royce,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The ego, the hardness, the … callousness of anything that might be on the heart or the mind had literally just melted away.—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The 17-year-old mother, named for a callosity near her blowhole that looks like a snow cone, no longer had the same girth or the dark black skin of a healthy right whale.—
David Abel,
BostonGlobe.com,
30 Sep. 2022
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The callosity patterns, like fingerprints, are unique to each whale, allowing researchers who have pored over whale catalogue photos to recognize plenty in the wild.—
Dino Grandoni,
Anchorage Daily News,
22 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Callousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callousness. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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