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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartless
The first four episodes of season 2 crept onto Netflix earlier this month, throwing our favorite heartless teenager (played by Jenna Ortega) headfirst into a new mystery, complete with secret experiments, ravenous zombies, and a spat of unsettling bird murders.
—
Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Roy Scheider briefly appears as an executive so heartless even his folksy blue cardigan seems to hate his guts.
—Linda Holmes, NPR, 15 Aug. 2025
The heartless subway mugger who slashed and badly wounded a woman on an empty Manhattan train car will stay locked up following his arrest late last week.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
All of that could be achieved, in a bipartisan fashion, without this massive and heartless overreach — and without these crushing deficits.
—Johnny Olszewski, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Roy Scheider briefly appears as an executive so heartless even his folksy blue cardigan seems to hate his guts.
—Linda Holmes, NPR, 15 Aug. 2025
The heartless subway mugger who slashed and badly wounded a woman on an empty Manhattan train car will stay locked up following his arrest late last week.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
All of that could be achieved, in a bipartisan fashion, without this massive and heartless overreach — and without these crushing deficits.
—Johnny Olszewski, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
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Tracey recalls how her ruthless daughter sought revenge on her father, classmates and Laura.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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In the epic Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a reputation for being utterly ruthless.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The cruel irony is that the very systems designed to promote inclusion can inadvertently reinforce exclusion.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And of course, to serve as cruel juxtaposition, deGrom retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the inning on just six pitches.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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If Hollow Knight was demanding, Silksong is merciless.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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In 1918, Bolshevik secret police forced Anastasia Romanov and her imperial family into a damp basement to face a merciless firing squad.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Take the quiz here … KICKED TO THE CURB – Super Bowl hero cut from 49ers roster after brutal Week 1 performance.—
,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While released, Horton committed another horrific crime – a brutal home invasion and rape.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Masked country crooner Orville Peck will keep his face covered while playing Vega, the vicious fighter who uses metal claws as one of his weapons.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This thrilling prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Alyla Browne as young Furiosa, who is abducted by the savage warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) — leader of the Biker Horde — and spends the next decade in captivity plotting her revenge and escape.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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There was a time when loving someone of the wrong gender could result in harassment, arrest or a savage beating.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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