as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
gave the beggar in the street a pitiless look and kept on walking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pitiless
The margin of error, even on the outside of the CFL, UFL and NFL, is pitiless.
—
Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
The film’s only real villain is Al Pacino, doing a Colonel Sanders accent as Richard’s father M.L. Hall, whose pitiless rigidity stands in for capitalism as a whole.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Each failure rekindled the gravitational pull of an existential, pitiless struggle.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
From Hollywood's Golden Age and the '70s catastrophe obsession to today, these films have unearthed every pitiless corner of nature's wrath, from towering tsunamis and viral pandemics to all-out apocalypses and more.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiless
Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
The film’s only real villain is Al Pacino, doing a Colonel Sanders accent as Richard’s father M.L. Hall, whose pitiless rigidity stands in for capitalism as a whole.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Each failure rekindled the gravitational pull of an existential, pitiless struggle.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
From Hollywood's Golden Age and the '70s catastrophe obsession to today, these films have unearthed every pitiless corner of nature's wrath, from towering tsunamis and viral pandemics to all-out apocalypses and more.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiless
Adjective
-
Figure skating is ruthless that way.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss (Bening), Lucky must fight for her life — and a way out.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Murphy is not acting alone, however, as he’s been assigned to the journey out of a labor camp run by a merciless, tobacco-spitting boss (Russell Crowe) — and some in his merriless band turn out to be savvier, and more malicious, than others.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But the Warriors, driven by the merciless ticking clock of Curry’s career, are desperate.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That means the flavor can range from mild and clean to stony or salty, and the intensity of the bubbles also varies from delicate to aggressive.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Delectable notes of lemon curd on the nose, citrus blossom, and stony minerality, with peach tart and a drizzle of honey, and a lovely balance of medium body, lots of juicy fruit and crisp acidity.—
Cathrine Todd,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitiless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiless. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
