1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a heartless boss who would fire people for missing work, even if they were sick as a dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
his heartless whipping of runaway slaves virtually to the point of death shocked even other slave owners
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartless
In 1965 Maryland, Sophia Clark is given an opportunity to attend a prestigious all white boarding school and escape her heartless parents.
—
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
A lot of the tellings of the story set him up as this heartless crook out to enrich himself, hurt other people, and exploit the ocean.
—Abigail Wise, Outside, 13 Feb. 2026
Institutional evolution is inexorable and heartless.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
To them, he will be remembered as a cold, heartless businessman and a shamefully unkind man of the cloth who focused way too much on socializing, traveling and furthering his own agenda.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
A lot of the tellings of the story set him up as this heartless crook out to enrich himself, hurt other people, and exploit the ocean.
—Abigail Wise, Outside, 13 Feb. 2026
Institutional evolution is inexorable and heartless.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
To them, he will be remembered as a cold, heartless businessman and a shamefully unkind man of the cloth who focused way too much on socializing, traveling and furthering his own agenda.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
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More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham (Tennant) is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Their little brother Dante is an irresponsible party boy, tangled up with a ruthless local gang.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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Violating that trust is both cruel and unlawful.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
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But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Seventy percent of tomatoes consumed in the United States come from Mexico, where the weather was also brutal, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
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For Asmae El Moudir in The Mother of All Lies, that meant using miniatures to coax out details of her family’s experiences during Morocco’s brutal Years of Lead.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Inexplicable, loud, kinetic, vicious.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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That is, until the union starts not-so-quietly exploding during a vicious screaming match at their home following a fundraising event.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
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The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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