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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heartless
Such a bird’s eye view of existence, however, can lead to extremely problematic lines of thought that are heartless at best, and actively eugenicist at worst.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
Also in the trailer, the callous VIPs return for a masked dinner — and to make heartless wagers on the lives of the players.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 May 2025
This is a heartless joke to them, which is really unfortunate.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
The pope also came in for criticism from right-wing commentators such as Rush Limbaugh, who labeled Francis a Marxist because of his blunt condemnations of heartless capitalism and the concentration of wealth in the hands of so few.
—Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
Also in the trailer, the callous VIPs return for a masked dinner — and to make heartless wagers on the lives of the players.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 May 2025
This is a heartless joke to them, which is really unfortunate.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
The pope also came in for criticism from right-wing commentators such as Rush Limbaugh, who labeled Francis a Marxist because of his blunt condemnations of heartless capitalism and the concentration of wealth in the hands of so few.
—Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
-
Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
21 June 2025
-
Michael Fassbender plays the deceased Apple guru — a flawed, ruthless, but ultimately compassionate soul.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?—
Ed Simon
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
This realization reconfigures the entire book, recasting their ongoing dialogue and seemingly cordial relations as an interstellar jail—and the novel itself into an extended, especially cruel prison sentence.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
But in the face of an increasingly merciless healthcare system, the battered team must put aside their differences and pull together to save lives.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2025
-
The film is cold-bloodedly whimsical, asking the audience to root for a merciless man who endeavors, ever so incrementally, to understand some deeper human truths.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
That was a brutal era of NBA basketball where the winning final score sometimes didn’t hit 80.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2025
-
The Yankees’ brutal offensive malaise stretched past a point anybody could have foreseen with a 1-0, 11-inning loss Monday night.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Republican tax bill could push food assistance in Colorado into a vicious cycle of funding cuts, increasing mistakes in determining eligibility and further funding cuts to punish those mistakes, Gov. Jared Polis warned in a letter to congressional leaders Friday.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
16 June 2025
-
Plaschke delivers a vicious uppercut to his opponent.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
-
The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share