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
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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Sure, he’s driven by vengeance and ruthless in his pursuit, but — without spoiling anything — his motivation is clouded at best, misplaced at worst.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Michael’s brother Sonny (James Caan) becomes the de facto crime boss as the Corleones prosecute a turf war against their rivals, and Michael eventually emerges as the new, and much more ruthless boss, much to the horror of his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton).—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even his students can be casually cruel to each other, emulating a president that Artie almost cannot fathom.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Baseball is a sport built on failure surrounded by a cruel, cynical business, but this level of irony is almost too rich to digest.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
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In Oddity, Darcy (Carolyn Bracken) is driven entirely by grief over the brutal murder of her twin sister.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Demand for EVs in China is slowing after the government trimmed consumer subsidies and perks, and there’s no end in sight to a brutal price war as a crowded field of EV rivals jostle to outperform and undercut one another.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
1 May 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
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The betrayal of Zambada sparked a vicious battle for control of the Sinaloa cartel that has resulted in thousands of deaths.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Back in 2023, he was suspended during the playoffs for a vicious cross-check to the head of Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 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 7 May. 2026.
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