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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartless
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
The barber chair, the locus of Sweeney’s revenge on the heartless cruelty of a Victorian London that wrecked his life, isn’t the elaborate contraption of other productions.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 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
Abigail Wise, Outside, 13 Feb. 2026
Institutional evolution is inexorable and heartless.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
The barber chair, the locus of Sweeney’s revenge on the heartless cruelty of a Victorian London that wrecked his life, isn’t the elaborate contraption of other productions.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 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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The film centers on a car rental company owner who accidentally witnesses a murder, making him and his family targets of a ruthless gang.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
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Inspired by the book and 2003 Belgian film De zaak Alzheimer, the Fox psychological thriller series trades on Dempsey’s decades of goodwill as a beloved romantic lead to turn a ruthless killer into an antihero worth rooting for.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The stalemate stems from Democrats’ insistence on immigration-enforcement reform — particularly, the cruel and often erroneous enforcement that is sending shockwaves of fear throughout immigrant populations and even distressing American-citizen residents of Puerto Rico.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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Shaw called the revelation an appalling and cruel irony.—
Stephanie Elam,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the quagmire is made worse by the question of what audiences want in an age of abundant at-home entertainment options, tighter budgets and general fatigue from the merciless grind of modern life.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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In between, the Ball Arena patrons were merciless in their jeering of the officials.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Auer, as Betty, offers a fleet, brutal portrait of a mother moving through grief, weepily passing from denial to acceptance.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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That’s more than a third of the opening games breaking in favor of the lower-seeded team — a brutal stretch for anyone trying to build a flawless bracket.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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With a 15 percent slope and soils consisting of shattered rock and very stony loam with a small percentage of clay, the soil is low in organic matter and drains extremely well.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
22 Feb. 2026
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The sculptor, David Adickes, was an Army veteran who'd wanted his stony visages to gleam.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Compared with a vicious online duel, this conflict is hard to dramatize.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
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Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, snatched the momentum with a rare 3-pointer from the top of the key before a vicious block on Demary, which led to a flashy dunk from Dillon Mitchell (nine points, nine rebounds, two steals).—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The loss of books is minor, almost trivial, in light of all the horrors and violence unleashed by this senseless war, but the potential loss of these books is a sad reminder that we’re all affected and implicated in America’s savage flailings.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
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Conan O'Brien hit almost every note on Sunday — savage, playful, heartfelt and dumb.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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