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
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Recent Examples of pitiless
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
Gilroy drew upon his lifelong study of historical revolutions to inform the show’s interweaving storylines of payroll heists and gulag escapes, street riots and false flag operations, squabbling freedom fighters and pitiless secret police.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 13 May 2025
Her loss unleashed Twain’s anger at pitiless fate, and his relationships with his two surviving daughters became increasingly estranged.
—Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiless
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
Gilroy drew upon his lifelong study of historical revolutions to inform the show’s interweaving storylines of payroll heists and gulag escapes, street riots and false flag operations, squabbling freedom fighters and pitiless secret police.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 13 May 2025
Her loss unleashed Twain’s anger at pitiless fate, and his relationships with his two surviving daughters became increasingly estranged.
—Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiless
Adjective
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Their methods—ruthless melodic math, brazenly artificial production, and an odd soft spot for reggae rhythms—helped define the world-conquering sound of Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
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To play someone whose world is so beautiful on the surface but whose secrets are ruthless has been an exhilarating challenge.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The novel intertwines present-day events with painful memories of the lives of her parents, who tried to protect their love from war, jealousy, and the cruelty of the merciless Soviet government.—
Nelly Klos
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
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In the present day, Lockjaw reenters Bob and Willa’s lives with merciless force, deploying troops from his immigration taskforce on Baktan Cross, the sanctuary city where Bob and Willa have been laying low in the 16 years since Pat became Bob and baby Charlene, Willa, as the two went on the lam.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitiless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiless. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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